Polishing a Dull Gem
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: Emerald was once a starving urchin, fighting every day to survive. Now, she has unquestioningly devoted her life to Cinder, the one person who offered her a better life. As the planned Fall of Beacon draws closer and a certain team of dorks unexpectedly finds their way into Emerald's heart, she begins to wonder if there may be another path for her. (Commission for Mackenzie Buckle)
1. A Thief's Introduction

**Greetings, my lovelies! We're here with my first commission piece in what feels like a thousand years. It's for Mackenzie Buckle, who wanted a 7-chapter Minty Gin beauty. As someone who loves poly ships, Team JNPR, and Emerald, I was more than happy to oblige.**

 **Enjoy!**

Emerald was no stranger to manipulating people. It was how she survived on the streets for as long as she did. She was, however, new to the idea of manipulating the same people for an extended period of time. Usually, she never saw any of her victims again after using her Semblance to rob them of whatever she could get her hands on. She'd just be gone, leaving little more than a memory behind.

Still, for Cinder, she would learn. She would adapt. For Cinder, she would do anything.

Cinder was the only one who had ever given her hope. She had offered Emerald a chance to not only survive, but thrive. She was going to create a world where class meant nothing and strength meant everything. She had promised that Emerald would never starve again, and Emerald believed her wholeheartedly.

She loved Cinder. She loved Cinder, even if her savior didn't feel the same way, even if she occasionally lost her temper and beat Emerald for a failure or a misspoken word. Even through the physical and mental pain, being with Cinder made everything easier, even talking to an overly-hyper, way-too-peppy student.

"So, that's why we stopped saying the V-word around Zwei," Ruby Rose finished with a smile.

Cinder chuckled softly. "Your dog sounds like quite a character."

"He is!" Ruby agreed. "I hope my dad brings him to the Festival. You guys would love him!" She looked from Cinder to Emerald. "Do either of you have pets?"

Cinder shook her head. "Unfortunately, my family doesn't have the extra money. I may get a cat in the future."

"I do like cats." Ruby smiled at Emerald. "What about you? Are you more of a cat person, or a dog person?"

"Um…" Emerald found herself stammering a bit. She honestly wasn't good with cats or dogs. They were too high maintenance. "I've always liked reptiles," she admitted, hoping that wasn't too strange.

To her relief, Ruby nodded enthusiastically. "One of my classmates at Signal had a bearded dragon. They're super smart!" She noticed something behind Emerald and Cinder, her smile growing. "Hey, guys! Come meet my new friends!" She zipped past the two and toward a team of students from Beacon that was approaching down the hallway.

Cinder took the opportunity to take Emerald's wrist, squeezing painfully for a brief moment. "You're too tense. Act more natural."

Emerald gritted her teeth at the feeling of a hard, hot palm pressing into her wrist bones, even as she felt a shameful thrill at Cinder's touch. "I'll try." The squeezing became more painful and she flinched. "I will," she corrected herself.

"Good." Cinder smoothly let go, her face somehow maintaining its calm smile the whole time.

Emerald stood up straight as Ruby returned with the four other students. She barely resisted the urge to hold her hurt wrist.

"Emerald, Cinder, this is Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren! They're Team JNPR."

Cinder inclined her head. "A pleasure to meet you. I'm Cinder, and this is Emerald. We're from Team CNEM."

"It's nice to meet you too!" the taller, red-haired girl said. Emerald recognized her as the famous Pyrrha Nikos.

The smaller ginger girl, Nora, giggled. "Team Cinnamon? That's so much cooler than Juniper! I mean, Ren makes great cinnamon roll pancakes, so I'm kinda biased. I'm not sure if you can even eat juniper berries."

"You actually can," the black-haired boy, Ren, commented. "They're used as a seasoning and are a key ingredient in gin."

Nora rolled her eyes. "None of those sound like they can go in pancakes."

"Some places sell maple syrup that was kept in whiskey aging casks," Emerald piped up. "Not sure if they do the same for gin, though."

Nora's eyes widened. "Wait, that's a thing?! How does it taste?"

Emerald shrugged. "Not sure. I just heard about it."

"Ren, we have to get that!" Nora insisted.

"No way!" the blond boy, Jaune, cut in. "Not after what happened to our dorm room last week. You were a literal hurricane going through there!"

Nora folded her arms with a huff. "You're exaggerating."

"I'm sorry, but he really isn't," Pyrrha said, giving her teammate a look that somehow held both exasperation and deep fondness. She smiled at Emerald, Cinder, and Ruby. "If you'll excuse us, we actually have class in a few minutes with Professor Goodwitch."

"Yikes! You don't want to be late for that," Ruby commented.

"Nice meeting you," Jaune called, waving as he led his team away.

Emerald noticed Ren glancing at Cinder, noticed the way his eyes briefly narrowed when he looked at her. She looked at Cinder, wondering if her leader had seen that brief glance, but Cinder's expression, as usual, gave nothing away.

A few days later, the team was having a meeting in their dorm room. Neo, as usual, was absent. No one really cared, honestly. She was just there to fill in the last slot for their team. Besides, she was a lacky to that stupid Roman, who Cinder hoped to arrange an accident for once he stopped being useful. There was no point in getting attached.

Emerald felt a little nervous about that. What if Cinder suddenly decided that she or Mercury weren't useful?

Mercury was recounting a recent sparring class, where Pyrrha Nikos had defeated her opponent within minutes. She would apparently be fighting an entire team later on. "I'll see about fighting her too," he said. "See if I can figure out her Semblance."

"Good idea," Cinder said, giving Mercury a smile. "Emerald, why don't you make friends with this Pyrrha woman, and the rest of her team while you're at it. See if we can get some use out of any of the others."

"Of course, Cinder," Emerald replied. She was getting better at interacting casually with people. That hyperactive Ruby was actually good practice, as she was mostly oblivious whenever Emerald slipped up.

Already, she was figuring out the best way to introduce herself to this new team of idiots. Even if it seemed trivial, the fact that Cinder thought it was important just proved how shortsighted Emerald was compared to her. Cinder knew best, and Emerald would do exactly as she was told.

Her chance came the following day, after a sparring class where Ren won against a much larger and heavier opponent with his duel pistol/daggers. She approached the team and greeted Ren. "Hey. That was a pretty cool move you did at the end." She felt a small measure of caution when talking to him, remembering the look he had given Cinder earlier.

Ren's response was a very genuine-looking smile. "Thank you. I noticed that our weapons are somewhat similar."

"Dual guns for the win!" Emerald grinned. "The kama add a bit of extra flare for me."

"Nothing wrong with flare!" Jaune assured her. "That's why I'm perfecting some sweet attack names for the tournament."

The other three groaned.

"Ugh, Jaune! When will you just settle on a few names? You change them every other session," Nora grumbled.

"It does make things a bit confusing," Pyrrha noted.

Emerald noticed a slight hesitance on Pyrrha's part to criticize her leader and filed that information away for later. "What kinds of attack names?"

"Okay, so," Jaune began eagerly. "I was thinking Golden Hammer for Pyrrha and Nora, since Pyrrha's weapon is gold-colored, and Nora's is a hammer."

A group of invisible, metaphorical crickets chirped.

"No," Nora said. "That's…not even kind of good."

Jaune pouted. "Hey, I'm trying!"

Emerald found herself letting out a small laugh, an involuntary one, at Jaune's hilariously-exaggerated, wounded expression. _Wait, where did that come from? Should I have laughed?_ Before she could panic too much, Nora joined her laughter and elbowed Jaune.

"See? Told you. Try a better name and talk to us again later."

"My ribs…" Jaune groaned.

Pyrrha shook her head, that fond/exasperated expression back on her face. "Be careful, Nora. We don't want Jaune injured for the dance, do we?"

"No way!" Jaune said. "I gotta be ready to show Weiss my moves." He flashed a grin and winked.

Emerald saw a brief look of sadness dart across Pyrrha's face, and immediately realized what was happening with those two. _Stupid school crushes. I can't wait for this part of the plan to be over._

Out loud, she said: "So, I saw that they're setting up for extra sparring sessions throughout the school. I was wondering if you guys were looking for new sparring buddies."

"That sounds grand!" Pyrrha said enthusiastically.

"Ooh, yeah! That'll help us get more practice for the tournament!" Nora commented.

"Would you like to exchange Scroll numbers?" Ren asked.

"Sure!" Emerald was surprised at how purely easy this was.

 _Then again, these guys probably never spent a day on the streets,_ she reasoned. _Most of these Hunters grew up in cushy houses with fancy weapons their daddies bought. None of them know what true fear or danger are. They have no reason to be suspicious._

Her thoughts were spiteful, though she couldn't help but feel a touch of envy. How nice would it be to not be afraid of everyone, to not question everyone's motives? Sure, it's an attitude that sets one up to be screwed over, but isn't ignorance bliss?

Emerald couldn't let herself think too much about it. She had a mission to carry out, and she just got one step closer to getting more crucial information for Cinder.

Maybe, just maybe, Cinder would smile at her for her success this time.

…

"So, what do you think about Emerald?" Jaune asked later on in the Team JNPR dorm room. It had become a sort of ritual to talk about the new students they met at the end of each day, comparing notes on how they would fare as friends, sparring partners, and opponents in the tournament.

"She seems a bit nervous," Pyrrha commented. "She tries really hard to hide it, though. I have a feeling that she had to work up the courage to talk to us."

"I like her," Nora said. "She's nice. What about you, Ren?"

"I like Emerald just fine," Ren muttered, thinking back to a few days ago. "But, I'm not so sure about Cinder."

The others turned to look at him, confusion written on their faces. "Why don't you like Cinder, Ren?" Nora asked. She hadn't seen anything wrong about Team CNEM's leader, but she also knew that Ren was better at picking up things that most people missed.

"Remember when we first saw them?" Ren asked. "While Ruby was talking to us, I happened to glance at the two. I saw Cinder holding Emerald's wrist really tightly. There was a look in her eyes as she said something to her, a look I didn't particularly like. It was almost angry, even though there was a smile on her face. Today, I noticed that Emerald has a bruise there, and a few more on her arms."

Jaune's expression immediately darkened. "You think Cinder's bullying her teammate?"

"Let's break her legs!" Nora immediately declared.

"Hold it, Nora," Pyrrha cautioned. "We don't know the full story yet." She looked at Ren. "Ren, do you really think Cinder is hurting Emerald on purpose, or could the bruises perhaps be from sparring?"

"I'm not sure," Ren admitted. "I just know what I saw. I don't know if I misinterpreted it. I wouldn't have even noticed the bruise on her wrist if it wasn't for the look Cinder had that one time. I could be totally off."

"Maybe we should just keep our eyes open for now," Jaune suggested. "I mean, we're going to be hanging out with Emerald, so we'll probably get a chance to figure out what's going on one way or another, right?"

"But, if we get one hundred percent proof that Cinder's a bully," Nora continued. "Then, we break legs?"

"No, Nora," Ren said. "If we let you break her legs, we'll have to turn you loose on Team CRDL too."

"I see no negatives to this plan."

Ren gently ruffled her hair. "You can't just break the legs of every person who causes trouble."

Nora blushed, giving Ren an innocent smile. "But it would make the world a much nicer place. I'm just trying to do my duty as a Huntress."

"No, Nora," Ren said, his voice soft and kind.

Pyrrha and Jaune watched the two, exchanging a brief look of "Oh my god, they are so oblivious," before taking out their study materials for the night.

….

A cold wind blew through the filthy alleyway, disturbing the newspapers Emerald had used to cover herself. She trembled, curling herself in even tighter, alternating between focusing on the numbing of her fingers and toes, and the emptiness of her stomach. If she focused on one for too long, she would start crying, and she was already dehydrated enough.

She had gotten only a few coins that day from passing strangers. Most of the people who walked by ignored her, looking away as if the sight of a hungry kid made them too uncomfortable.

 _Well, sorry if my suffering makes you feel queasy,_ Emerald would often find herself thinking. She didn't let her emotions show on her face, though. It was the nice and happy or pitiful and sad homeless people who got coins, not the cranky ones.

The coins were cold in her pocket, making burning, freezing circles on her skin through the threadbare cloth. She hadn't spent them, since there wasn't enough to make a single Lien. She couldn't even buy a stale hotdog with that little.

The wind blew her newspapers away, and she stood up. There would be no sleeping tonight, so she'd might as well walk around to get the blood flowing. She'd have to be careful, of course. If a lustful man on the prowl noticed her, she was in trouble. There were only a handful of places to hide, and very few people who would offer her help at this time of night, or any time of day.

She stepped out of the alley and walked down the street, hands in her pockets, glancing around nervously as the chill wind made her shake. The frost-coated streets were deserted. As she walked, she found herself looking at the stars, which somehow looked even colder and more pitiless than the ice on the ground.

Then, she smelled something. Something warm. Something edible. Immediately, she ducked around a corner, starting toward the source of the smell: a dumpster that sat behind a restaurant. It smelled like bread, leftover meats, and so many other things that-

Emerald stopped when another scent intermingled with the food smells: bleach. Bleach that the shopkeepers had poured on their garbage, specifically so that the food would then be poison to anyone who tried to eat it. These yuppies were so high and mighty, even their garbage was too good for someone like Emerald.

Bile rose in her throat and tears welled up in her eyes at the sheer injustice of it all, and she turned to leave. Just as she neared the end of the alley, she saw a man walking by. He wore decent clothes and walked with purpose, as if he had somewhere to be. He wasn't like her, which meant he had money.

It had been a long time since Emerald last tried to pickpocket someone, but she was desperate. She fell into step behind the guy, staying close to the walls. She focused on him with everything she had, hoping that he wouldn't see her. She got closer.

 _Please, don't see me,_ she silently begged. _I'm invisible. I'm not even here. No one is reaching into your pocket right now._

To her astonishment, the man kept walking. There was a moment when he turned his head, but it was like he was looking directly through Emerald. That was weird. Homeless people were often ignored, but they weren't invisible, especially if they were "too close" to someone.

Yet, this man didn't seem to realize she was there. So, with her eyes still fixed on his face, Emerald slid her hand into his pocket, withdrew his wallet, and backed away.

She was just walking down the sidewalk when another voice shouted "Hey! Stop, thief!"

Immediately, she ran. She turned into an alleyway, the voice following her. She noticed a weird glow around her. Her Aura? Why was it activating now? It didn't matter. All she could do was run away and clutch the wallet for dear life. She reached the end of the alley and collapsed, suddenly exhausted. Everything started to go black

Emerald sat bolt upright as she woke up, gasping for breath. It took a moment for her adrenaline to settle, for her to realize that she wasn't in a cold, dirty alleyway, but a warm, soft bed in Beacon.

"Pipe down over there," Mercury's muzzy voice called from his bed. "We're trying to sleep."

Emerald bit her lip, carefully sliding the covers off of her and stepping outside. She wrapped her arms around herself, taking deep breaths.

It was normal for her to have dreams of her earlier days. Tonight, for some reason, she had dreamed about the night she had first discovered her Semblance. That had been a good, but scary night that had ended with her fainting due to using so much energy while literally starving.

After that night, she had honed her abilities, learning when to use them and when not to. She always used her Semblance for big thefts, like jewels or money. Using it to just steal food did no good, as the energy required usually burned up what food she managed to steal.

The dreams scared her because of how real they were. She didn't want to return to that life. She didn't want to see another dumpster filled with bleach, another uncaring yuppy tossing pennies to the ground at her feet, another piece of moldy bread again.

That was why she was here. She was fighting for a better life for herself. She had weapons. She had a purpose. She had Cinder telling her exactly what she needed to do and how she needed to do it.

It didn't matter that there was no one to hug her when she had her nightmares. It didn't matter how scared she was now. One day soon, she would finally be free of her past. She would be one of the people who brought new order to the world. She would sleep in a bed, eat full meals, and fight for something other than a half-full stomach and a handful of coins for the rest of her life.

For that, Emerald would do absolutely anything.

 **I have several headcanons concerning Emerald's backstory and why she's the way she is. There's a lot of bitterness and mistrust in her character, along with an unhealthy attachment to Cinder, as we especially saw in Volume 5. However, there's also a definite sense of hesitance and regret when it comes to the rest of what she signed up for, such as the Fall of Beacon and Salem in general. I feel that, out of all the villains, she's the most likely to be redeemed later on. Stay tuned for lots of character bonding in the upcoming chapters!**

 **In case it wasn't clear, I'm open for commissions. Three open slots are left. Message me for details.**

 **If you like what you see and want to show extra support while earning sweet rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.**

 **Peace out!**


	2. A Homecooked Meal

**We're back with chapter two of this lovely poly fic. Here, we see our favorite thief getting to know our favorite team on a more personal level.**

 **Enjoy!**

Emerald quickly fell into a routine of sparring with Team JNPR every other evening, going back to the room, and reporting what she learned from their tactics. She still wasn't sure what any of their Semblances were, however. She supposed asking was an option, but it was generally accepted that no one discussed their Semblances or abilities during that semester, as everyone hoped for an edge of surprise to assist them in the tournament.

This team was…weird. While they were skilled, there were times when they seemed to treat practice like a joke. Playful banter and borderline-flirtatious dialogue was interspersed with sword thrusts, hammer swings, spear throws, and dagger stabs. Sometimes, Emerald found herself joining in, feeling weirdly happy whenever something she said caused one or more of them to laugh. No one had ever thought she was funny before, at least not in a good way.

Cinder, unfortunately, didn't find any of this useful. "You're supposed to be gathering information, not having fun," she snapped one night. "I'm starting to wonder if you're taking any of this seriously. Are they going to be useful, or aren't they?"

"I'm not sure yet," Emerald insisted, trying to remember if there were any other battle strategies she had forgotten to mention.

"Ugh. I should have assigned Mercury to this," Cinder huffed. "No matter. I'll have him spar with the Nikos girl during class soon enough. The others are probably useless. You can stop seeing them now."

Emerald was devastated. She had let Cinder down. _One job,_ she thought. _I had one stupid job, and I couldn't even monitor a team of morons._

She spent most of the next day feeling glum and was still feeling sorry for herself in the evening when her Scroll buzzed. She picked it up to see a text from Nora.

" _Hey, Em! You wanna hang out? Ren and I are in the kitchen."_

Em. Most of the other students had started calling her that. She had never had a nickname before but guessed that it was a sign that she was integrating well.

Still, Emerald raised an eyebrow as she looked at the text. Hang out? She glanced at her calendar. Today wasn't one of their sparring days. Did Nora and Ren just want to spend time with her? Did they really like her enough to ask such a thing already?

She thought about saying no. She still felt nervous about spending long periods of time socializing with her would-be enemies. Keeping a mask of niceness intact wasn't easy, after all.

Still, she found herself texting _"Sure."_ and immediately going out the door of her dorm room and down the hall.

This wasn't right. She was supposed to wait for Cinder to come back, make her report, then go to bed. What if Cinder got angry that Emerald was gone? _Should I have left a note?_ Still, even with her worries, she didn't stop walking. If she was being totally honest with herself, she was at a low point and it felt nice that someone genuinely wanted to be around her, that there was a possibility of going through this evening without a disapproving glare or a hard palm to the face. These losers didn't know what a failure she was. They also didn't know that they would probably be trying to kill each other within the next few months. For the time being, Emerald supposed that they could have their uses.

 _But, why meet in the kitchen?_ she wondered. Her question was quickly answered when she opened the door and was greeted with a mouthwatering aroma.

Ren had a wok on the stove and was cooking some sort of meat in what smelled like soy sauce. At his side, Nora was stirring something in a bowl.

"Hey!" Nora chirped happily. "Perfect timing! You can cut the veggies."

"Uh, okay." Emerald walked over to where several vegetables were sitting next to a cutting board. _Is this how regular people hang out?_ She picked up the knife, hesitating as she prepared to cut a red bell pepper. "Are they washed already?"

"Yep," Nora said. "Just cut them up small so Ren can mix them in with the meat."

Emerald started chopping up the pepper, unsure of what the right method was. "Um, should it be in strips, or…"

"Whatever works for you," Ren assured her. "Just as long as they fit in the wok."

"Okay." Emerald set to work, belatedly remembering to put the seeds aside. She wasn't sure what else to do. Did she make small talk while she worked? Was that what she was supposed to do?

Thankfully, Nora was like Ruby and had no trouble dominating the conversation.

"So, get this: Jaune's thinking of serenading Weiss," she said without preamble.

Emerald cringed at the very thought of that. "Why?"

"He wants to ask her to the dance," Ren said in a bored voice that just slightly hinted at the exasperation he was feeling toward his oblivious leader.

"Again, why?" Emerald asked. From what she had seen, Weiss seemed to be a frigid bitch. No way was someone like that compatible with someone as goofy and kindhearted as Jaune.

 _Wait, what did I just think?_

Nora rolled her eyes. "He doesn't know when to quit. His dad taught him some stupid stuff about how all women want 'confident' guys, and if you're persistent, they'll totally fall for you."

"Ugh. Men." Emerald shook her head, then remembered who else was in the room. "Uh, present company excluded."

Ren chuckled. "I know the flaws of my gender, Emerald. I like to think I'm above things like that." He checked another pot, which held some ramen noodles that were just starting to boil.

"At least we women are totally flawless, right Em?" Nora asked, elbowing Emerald as she put her bowl on the counter.

"I wouldn't say that," Ren noted. "I've noticed that even the most confident women have trouble saying the simplest things. Case and point: Pyrrha."

"I knew it!" Emerald said as she started cutting smaller stalks from the broccoli. "She totally is in love with Jaune, isn't she?"

Nora snorted. "And she thinks it isn't obvious. I'll have to tell her that a freaking newbie from Mistral figured it out!"

"They would also make more sense together than Jaune and Weiss," Emerald pointed out. "Personality-wise."

Ren nodded. "Jaune should be with someone who boosts him up. Weiss is a good person, but she does have a tendency to put him down whenever they interact, even if he isn't asking her out."

"People just shouldn't put people down," Nora grumbled. She took what looked like a ball of dough out of another bowl and started rolling it. "Not if they're friends, and not if they're dating."

Emerald felt an uncomfortable lurch in her stomach as she thought of Cinder. "So," she said, her voice coming out a little too quickly. "What are we making?"

"Stir-fry with pork dumplings," Ren said. "I'll be adding the noodles in with the vegetables. The dumplings are made with ground pork, a bit of chopped shrimp, and some chives and garlic. We'll be mixing it with just a bit of sauce too."

"That sounds really good," Emerald said, her mouth watering a little at the thought. Ever since she was taken in by Cinder, she tried to get her hands on whatever good foods she could find. The more expensive, the better (though she rarely used her own money when going for the pricier options.) Even now, however, she had yet to taste a legit homecooked meal. "If you have any leftovers you want to get rid of, let me know."

"Leftovers?" Nora glanced over at her. "Aren't you eating with us?"

"I- oh!" Emerald's cheeks flushed. "Do…Do you want me to?"

"Of course," Ren said, looking a little shocked. "Do you think we'd ask you to help us cook if we weren't going to feed you?"

"I…" Emerald shrugged, unsure of what to say.

"Well, clearly all the hosts you've had in the past suck!" Nora declared. "We invited you down to eat with us. We just thought you'd like helping out. You seemed _really_ bummed out today and doing stuff like cooking always helps me when I'm sad."

"Nora," Ren said with a slight warning tone. He hadn't wanted to draw attention to the fact that they had caught on to Emerald's obvious sadness that day.

Emerald stiffened. "You…noticed?" _Crap! Did anyone else notice? Did Cinder notice? Did she notice other people noticing?!_ That last thought was purely terrifying. Would Emerald get a smack when she saw Cinder again? She didn't know if she could handle that kind of disappointment so soon after the previous night!

There was a thud. Emerald realized that the knife had slipped from her hand and fallen onto the cutting board. She felt weirdly lightheaded. Her breaths were coming shorter.

"Ren!" Nora's urgent voice cut through the haze growing in Emerald's mind.

A second later, a cool, calloused hand was on Emerald's back. At that touch, she suddenly felt her frenzied, panicked thoughts fading away. Gently, they were pushed to the back of her mind, making way for more rational, calming thoughts. Her breathing slowed and she felt a wave of what could only be described as pure peace washing over her. She looked over to see Ren standing behind her an expression of concern on his face.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yeah," she muttered, feeling embarrassment threatening to replace the calmness. Something was stopping it, however, keeping her in a state of peace and bliss. "Sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Ren insisted.

"Yeah," Nora muttered sheepishly. "I shouldn't have said anything. I get panic attacks too, especially if I think people have been staring at me or thinking weirdly about me. Good thing I've got Ren."

Ren kept his hand on Emerald for a moment longer, long enough for the embarrassment to fade in the face of knowing that Nora also suffered the same thing, then drew back. "Do you want to talk about whatever happened?"

Emerald shook her head, feeling her cheeks warming yet again as she went back to cutting up some eggplant. "I just got into a fight with Cinder." _Why the hell did I say that?!_

Ren's eyes flashed. "Is everything okay with your team?"

Emerald almost laughed. _If you only knew, you sweet, innocent soul…_ "Everything's fine. It was my fault. I messed up on something we were working on, so she yelled. She didn't do anything wrong."

For some reason, her words only made Ren and Nora look even more concerned.

Thankfully, they didn't say anything else on the matter as they continued preparing the meal. Emerald finished cutting the veggies and handed them to Ren, who put them in the wok along with the noodles before adding more sauce and swirling the entire concoction skillfully. Nora, meanwhile, taught her how to make the dumplings.

"You need to put enough filling in, but not too much," she explained. "If you put in too much, it'll leak out and the dumpling won't close." She put a small amount of the ground pork mixture into a small circle of dough she had rolled out, then carefully closed it with her hands. "Like that."

Emerald messed up on the first one, which ended up having filling coming out of one corner. She mentally berated herself for the obvious waste of food, but Ren and Nora didn't seem troubled. They just undid the dumpling and mixed the filling back in, encouraging her to try again.

Once the dumplings were formed, they were put into the big pot to boil. Ren took the wok off the heat and transferred it to the table, where a heat-proof bowl was waiting.

Emerald noticed that three places had been set. "Aren't Jaune and Pyrrha having any?"

"They're having one of their special, private training sessions," Nora explained.

"And, they're not a couple how?" Emerald asked.

Nora snickered. "I know, right?"

Once the dumplings were drained, the three sat at the table and divided up the food, setting some aside for Pyrrha and Jaune to eat later. Emerald took a dumpling, dipped it in some oyster sauce, and popped the whole thing into her mouth.

It was delicious. It was juicy with a slight hint of sweetness from the shrimp and a bit of crunch from the chives. The stir-fry was just as good, the noodles being firm and smoky in flavor, the chicken still totally moist, and the vegetables nice and crispy.

"So, Em," Nora said after eating her sixth dumpling. "You got a date for the dance?"

"I'm probably just gonna go with Mercury," Emerald said, shrugging her shoulders. _And what a joy that will be…_ "I'm not really into that awkward 'ask random people you think are hot and get inevitably rejected' thing."

"Ooh, do you have someone you think is hot?" Nora asked, leaning over with a glint in her eye.

"Uh…" Emerald firmly pushed an image of Cinder away. "Not really." She quickly ate some noodles and chicken. "At least you guys have it easy, since you're already a thing."

Nora blinked, then let out a quick, too-loud laugh. "Us? Nah. We're just friends. Been together for years. But not, um, together-together. You know what I mean?"

Emerald glanced at Ren, who was staring fixedly at his plate, then back at Nora, whose face was bright red. "Uh huh." She didn't even bother hiding the doubt in her voice.

The three ate and chatted for another hour before cleaning up their dishes. Emerald was surprised to see that it was almost eleven.

"I'd better go to bed," she said. "My team has an early class tomorrow. Thanks for the food."

"No problem!" Nora insisted, giving Emerald a quick hug around the middle. "See you at our next sparring session."

Emerald barely suppressed a yelp of surprise at the sudden contact. "W-Wouldn't miss it," she stammered as Nora stepped back.

Ren didn't hug her, but his smile was friendly enough to count as a hug. "Until next time."

It wasn't until Emerald returned to her dorm room that she realized two things. One: She hadn't cancelled her sparring sessions with Team JNPR. Cinder had said that they were unnecessary now, and Emerald would likely be given something else to do in the near future. Why had she said she'd keep sparring with them? Two: She didn't feel exhausted from hanging out with them this time. Normally, she was so focused on keeping her friendly, cheerful mask on in order to avoid suspicion. This time, however, she hadn't been wearing a mask. She had just…talked?

 _They didn't even look down on me for having that mini freakout,_ she thought, remembering that moment when Ren had touched her back, calming her instantly.

 _Wait a minute…_ She found herself walking faster, hurrying to get to her room, suddenly very eager to see Cinder. When she opened the door, she saw that her teammates were asleep.

 _I'll have to tell her in the morning._ After all, she had just found out that at least one member of Team JNPR had a very useful and unique Semblance, one that Cinder would certainly be happy to know about.

That was enough to lift her spirits even further as she lay down and had her first peaceful sleep in days.

…

When Ren and Nora returned to their room, they saw that Jaune and Pyrrha were back from training and already fast asleep. While Nora put the leftover food in the mini fridge, Ren went to check on his teammates.

Jaune's face looked wholly peaceful. The slight aroma of melon-scented shampoo and dryer sheets from his fluffy pajamas made Ren smile. Lately, Ren found himself wondering, privately, what it would be like to cuddle with his leader, being totally engulfed in warmth and softness and the smell of melons and fresh laundry.

He pulled the covers over Jaune's shoulders, letting his fingers briefly touch soft blond hair before moving on to Pyrrha's bed.

Pyrrha, as always, looked like she was having a mildly-stressful dream. Her brows were creased, and she was gripping her blankets tightly. Carefully, Ren placed a hand on her brow, allowing his Semblance to activate. He sensed her stress, agitation, and a hint of self-loathing that always made him want to weep. Then, it was replaced with calmness. Pyrrha's face relaxed, and a shadow of a smile appeared. Ren felt his heart stutter at the sight.

He wasn't afraid of the feelings he had for his teammates. He wasn't new to them, after all. He had been feeling them for years, ever since he first realized that he was in love with Nora.

As he lay down next to her in her bed, tucking them both in in an act that was basically routine at this point, he thought back to what Emerald had said about them. Nora reacting as she had wasn't anything new. Still, it was frustrating.

Ren knew that Nora felt just as strongly for him as he did for her. He felt it every time he calmed her down. That love for him was an every-present emotion, one she regularly tried to suppress.

He wanted to tell her how he felt, that she had nothing to worry about, but he didn't want to move too quickly. What if Nora's fear was of starting a relationship? What if she wasn't ready? Ren didn't want to force her into anything. When the time came, she would be the one to decide where their relationship went. Ren had made peace with that a long time ago.

"Ren?" Nora piped up, snuggling gladly against her best friend's familiar form.

Ren stroked her hair gently. "Yes, Nora?"

"I think Emerald definitely needs us."

"I agree." Ren closed his eyes, frowning as he remembered just how quick Emerald had been to place blame on herself when she mentioned her fight with Cinder. _What kind of fight was it? Do they have fights often?_ He knew he hadn't been mistaken when he had seen Cinder grab Emerald that one time. Even though he couldn't directly read emotions without physical contact, it was pretty easy to tell certain things by sight. "It seems like she doesn't have much of a support system. I wonder if any of her teammates even know she has panic attacks."

"Not sure," Nora sighed. "I mean, she seems to be good friends with Mercury."

"True," Ren allowed. "I don't have any issues with Mercury. As for their fourth teammate…" He thought for a moment. "Have we even met their fourth teammate?"

Nora shook her head. "Don't think so."

"Interesting." Ren sighed as his head sank into the pillow. "Well, let's just focus on being Emerald's friend and finding out what we can."

"Okay," Nora said. "I just…I don't want to let anyone get hurt. I mean, we didn't do anything to help Jaune or Velvet when they were being bullied, and I still feel horrible about that."

"We won't make the same mistake." Ren thought back to his father's words, back on that fateful day he had first seen Nora. "I'll make sure of it."

In the end, Ren decided to use his Semblance to put them both to sleep faster. It was late, and they both had a long day ahead of them.

 **I really enjoy typing domestic scenes like cooking. They're just so chill and can lend to many conversations. I'm writing a lot of personal headcanons into this, such as Emerald being more likely to have panic attacks due to Cinder. Considering how unstable she became after Cinder's death in Volume 5, it seems to make sense.**

 **There are still two more commission slots open for anyone who's interested. PM me for details.**

 **If you like what you see and want to show extra support while earning sweet rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.**

 **Peace out!**


	3. Spars and Dances

**Hello, my lovelies! We're back with another chapter of this lovely commission. Guilt is starting to catch up to our favorite henchman, and her beloved boss is becoming less and less appealing as time goes on, and the dance draws closer.**

 **Enjoy!**

"Well, I believe the saying goes: There's…plenty of fish in the sea."

 _Oh. My. God,_ Emerald thought. _This is actually painful._

When she had received a text from Pyrrha inviting her to the roof for a three-way spar, she hadn't expected to be treated to a freaking soap opera through the door. Her ear was pressed to it as she silently begged Jaune to take the hint.

 _Seriously, dude. Ditch the pasty ice queen and go for the literal goddess right in front of you! I mean, how can you be passing up on someone that freakishly gorgeous, kind, smart, funny… What the hell am I even thinking?_ Emerald shook her head. She couldn't let herself get attached to these people, especially Pyrrha!

Just that day, Mercury had informed them of Pyrrha's polarity Semblance. Cinder had been delighted and decided to include Pyrrha as a pawn, which meant that the poor girl would likely be dead before this was all over. For some reason, Emerald had never gotten around to mentioning Ren's Semblance. Maybe she was worried that Cinder would give her a scowl and pin this information as worthless. Maybe Emerald herself found the information worthless. Or, maybe, she was starting to feel a weirdly sick feeling in her stomach whenever she thought of the upcoming invasion and found herself hoping that Team JNPR would somehow survive it.

"Oh please, if you don't get a date to the dance, I'll wear a dress."

 _Aaand, this is officially too annoying to listen to anymore. Time to break the awkward bubble._ She moved back a few steps and made a show of walking loudly to the door and tapping on it before stepping outside.

Jaune grinned at her as she approached, totally oblivious to Pyrrha, who was clearly trying to paste a smile over the disappointment she was feeling. "Hey, Emerald! Glad you could make it. What do you think?" He spread his arms out. "Perfect spot to train, huh?"

"It's nice," Emerald agreed. "But, don't the people on the top floor get annoyed?"

"Not at all," Pyrrha assured her. "The rooftop is very thick. No sound gets through. I'm pretty sure others have used this spot to spar in the past."

"I wouldn't doubt it." Emerald drew her weapons and got into a battle stance. "Whenever you're ready."

After that, everything turned into a familiar dance of metal, Dust, skin, and Aura. Emerald had a hard time keeping up with Pyrrha, who seemed to leap out of her reach every time she lunged, only to come back in with a jab that would have been fatal if used to its full potential on an actual battlefield. Jaune, on the other hand, was clearly struggling to hold a candle to both of his companions. Out of instinct, Emerald found herself focusing more on the more vulnerable target, which led to both her and Pyrrha knocking him into a wall at one point.

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha gasped, hurrying to see if her partner was okay.

"Ow…" Jaune rubbed his head. "You women are vicious!"

"Not as vicious as Grimm," Emerald said. "Or actual killers. If you can't keep up, you'll get yourself killed." She wondered belatedly if that had come out too harsh.

Jaune, however, nodded. "Yeah, I know. I need to get better."

"You're improving immensely," Pyrrha assured him as she pulled him to his feet. "Much faster than the other students. By the time we graduate, I'm sure you'll surpass most of our class."

Jaune smiled. "I hope you're right."

Emerald felt a sharp pain in her chest. There would _be_ no graduation, not for anyone at any of the academies. _And no time for Jaune to get better, meaning he'll probably die with Pyrrha._ That weird, sickly feeling returned and her hands trembled.

Pyrrha noticed with a concerned frown. "Do you need to rest?"

"No, I'm fine," Emerald replied quickly. The last thing she needed was to sit down and allow that guilt to wash over her. Distracting herself was the only way to keep from breaking down. "I'm ready whenever you are."

The three continued for a few more minutes before Pyrrha called for a break. "I'm sorry. Being in two fights today took more out of me than expected."

"Ruby said you kicked Cardin in the face," Jaune said with a grin. "I'm bummed that I missed that!"

"I don't like that guy," Emerald commented, sitting down against the wall. "He seems like a douche."

"Oh, he definitely is," Jaune assured her.

"I mean, I technically didn't _have_ to kick him in the face," Pyrrha said with a shrug.

"Someone's got a devious side, huh?" Emerald raised an eyebrow at the seemingly-innocent Huntress. 

"Only when someone hurts my friends," Pyrrha assured her.

 _Fighting her is not going to be fun…_ Emerald found herself hoping that Mercury would take care of Pyrrha, so she wouldn't have to. The sickly feeling reared its ugly head again.

Pyrrha took her bag from a spot near the door and withdrew three bottles of water. "How is Mercury, by the way? He gave up on our sparring match so quickly. I hope he isn't sick."

"He's fine," Emerald said, mentally grimacing at Pyrrha's concern. _The irony. Asking about the health of the guy who was literally scanning your potential as a sacrifice for Cinder's plans._ It was funny: Before, she, Cinder, and Mercury had chuckled at the obliviousness of the students. Now, it was seeming less and less humorous. "He has a tendency to jump into things, then back out."

"I hope that doesn't apply to the dance," Jaune commented. "He's taking you, right?"

"Yeah, but it's just casual. It doesn't really make a difference whether we go together or not." Emerald took a drink of water. "The whole school dance scene isn't really my thing, anyway. There's always so much drama involved. Who's gonna ask who? What decorations will be used? It'd just be easier if everyone in the school went to the nightclub area in Vale and just partied there."

"Ooh, that would be cool!" Jaune grinned. "Though, Yang might have some trouble. I heard she's banned from half the clubs in Vale."

"Wait, what?!" Emerald sat up. "Okay, I need to hear that story!"

"Well, Yang tells it better," Pyrrha said. "But the gist of it is that…"

…

"And then, we were literally stuck to the wall!" Jaune finished. "Covered in ketchup and mustard!"

Emerald was clutching her side as she laughed. Next to her, Pyrrha was also laughing. They had gone from talking about Yang's club misadventures to discussing some beginning-of-the-year antics to Jaune recounting the recent food fight between Teams RWBY and JNPR.

"I honestly thought Professor Goodwitch was going to kill us," Pyrrha admitted. "She just marched in, looking angrier than I've ever seen her. I still don't know how we didn't get detention."

"I think Ozpin thought it was funny," Jaune reasoned. "I mean, he was totally trying not to laugh."

"It's nice that he's a good sport," Emerald snickered. "Lionheart would just bluster and stammer angrily before walking off with a huff."

"That's okay too," Jaune said. "Just as long as he still forgets to give you detention."

"Amen to that!" Emerald took another drink of water.

The two chatted for a bit before Jaune finished his water and stood up. "Well, I'm gonna head in. Maybe Ren has some advice on how to ask Weiss out. Thanks again for the extra practice, guys." He waved over his shoulder as he went back inside.

Emerald stared at the closed door, then back at Pyrrha, who had that forced smile back on her face. "Wow. I've seen oblivious people before, but that's a whole new level."

"I'm…sorry?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly.

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Your partner. The one who can't see something that's staring him in the face."

Pyrrha blushed, glancing to the side. "I'm…not sure what you mean…"

"Pyrrha, the only way you could be more obvious would be if you were carrying around a giant sign saying 'I LOVE JAUNE!' in big red letters," Emerald said flatly. "Why don't you just ask him out?"

"I…I don't know how," Pyrrha admitted. "When we became partners, our friendship just evolved naturally. I'm afraid of ruining that. If he has feelings for Weiss, there isn't much I can do."

"Okay, but what if he also likes you, but is worried about making your friendship weird, so he's just settling for Weiss because he's cripplingly oblivious?" Emerald spread her hands out. "Ever consider that?"

"I suppose that's a possibility," Pyrrha allowed, though she looked doubtful.

"Come on, Pyrrha," Emerald groaned. "You're freaking amazing. He'd be lucky to have you. If you're such good friends, can't you just be honest with him? What do you have to lose?" _Depending on what Cinder does, she may not be around after the Festival. Somehow, it'll be even more depressing if she dies without getting with that goof._

Pyrrha smiled a little at the praise, then nodded slowly as she thought about Emerald's words. "That's true. I wouldn't expect Jaune to not want to be my friend if I was honest. I just worry that things will become awkward."

"It'll pass. Everything does." Emerald's voice sounded a little too obviously sad when she said that.

Pyrrha tilted her head at Emerald's tone, but decided not to ask about it. "I'll think about it. Thank you for your help, Emerald." She pulled Emerald into a quick hug. "One way or another, I'm truly glad that the Vytal Festival fell on my first year. I don't think I'd be able to make so many friends otherwise."

Emerald forced a smile. "Yeah. That is the point of this whole thing, after all."

Later on, when Emerald was walking back to her room, she noticed that the sick, guilty feeling in her stomach wasn't going away. She tried to remember what Cinder had told her. Sacrifices had to be made in order to bring true equality to the world. Being complacent would only lead to a slow decay of the lower classes, and further suffering. It was always best to chop off a limb rather than letting it fester.

 _I can't afford to be selfish,_ Emerald told herself. _This is about more than a few students who happen to be nice. This is about making the world a place you can survive in. Ruin things now, and there will be thousands more like you who will have to grow up on the streets like you did, and they might not have a Cinder to save them._ That was finally enough to chase the sick feeling away and harden her resolve.

She found herself thinking about what she had told Pyrrha. "Be honest." Maybe, she should start taking her own advice.

Her feelings seemed to be validated when she opened the door and only Cinder was in the room. This was her chance! She took a deep breath. "Hey."

Cinder glanced up from her Scroll. "What was Pyrrha's fighting style like?"

Emerald's heart sank. She had forgotten to analyze Pyrrha's moves. "Um, she was mostly focused on training Jaune, so she didn't really do anything outside of basic defense maneuvers."

Cinder let out a disappointed tutting noise. "Why she'd put up with such a moron is beyond me."

"He's not so bad," Emerald muttered.

"Don't start getting attached, Emerald," Cinder warned, a hint of anger tinting her voice. "Remember why we're here."

"Of course." Emerald bowed her head. She steeled her nerves once more, then asked: "Cinder, would you like to go to the dance with me?"

There was a long pause. Cinder didn't look away from her Scroll. "…What?"

Emerald balked at the incredulous tone in Cinder's voice, but forced herself not to back down. "I mean, since we have to show up anyway, I was thinking that it could be nice if we went together. I'd…I'd really like it if we could."

Cinder put down her Scroll and turned to face Emerald fully, one eyebrow raised. "Emerald, when I tell you to remember why we're here, do you actually hear me?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then, you would remember that I'm going to be busy infiltrating the computer systems."

"But, afterward-"

"Emerald!" Cinder cut in. "I truly hope that you aren't starting to fall for your own ruse. Remember, you are not a Huntress. You are not a student. You are not a doe-eyed girl going off to the ball. You're a thief and a killer. Never forget that."

Emerald had to stare fixedly at the ground, so that Cinder wouldn't see the tears welling up in her eyes. "Yes, Cinder."

"Good." Satisfied, Cinder sat back down.

Emerald hesitated, unsure of what to do. As the pressure behind her eyes grew, she realized that crying was unavoidable and hurried out of the dorm. She walked down the hallways as quickly as she could, stumbling out into the thankfully-empty courtyard. She sat down on a bench, buried her face in her hands, and started to weep.

How could she have been so stupid? Cinder was right. Emerald was a thief, and, while she hadn't actually been the one to kill Tukson, she had definitely made sure there had been no escape for him. And she would kill many more by the time this was all over. She was foolish to hope for anything resembling a normal life. She was stupid to think that Cinder would ever see her as anything more than an underling. They were killers and survivors. Love and friendship had no place in their lives. The sooner Emerald could accept that, the less painful everything would become.

She wasn't sure how long she spent on that bench, but her musings were brought to an end as she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up to see Pyrrha, watched as the decidedly red-eyed Huntress sat down next to her. "Hey," she said.

"Hello, again," Pyrrha sighed. She placed a hand on Emerald's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I asked Cinder to the dance. She…blew me off." Emerald sniffled, hating how pathetic she sounded. A few months ago, she had been fighting to put food into her stomach, and she hadn't cried then! What was happening?

Pyrrha's eyes narrowed. Ren had been talking about his suspicions concerning Cinder's abusive nature, and this all but confirmed it. Somehow, she had a feeling that Cinder blowing someone off was done in a much harsher manner than how Weiss had rejected Jaune. She wrapped an arm around Emerald's shoulder. "You're too good for her. And don't worry. I heard that teams train on a more separate basis in later years."

"I guess." Emerald felt that sick feeling returning. "What happened with Jaune?"

Pyrrha let out a humorless laugh. "He was asking for advice on how to ask Weiss out. I told him to be honest with her, and he went off to find her."

"Oh, honey." Emerald shook her head, pulling Pyrrha into a hug. _You are too fucking nice for this world._

"I know…" Pyrrha muttered. "I can beat up an entire team in a brawl, but I can't speak my own mind when it comes down to it. Sad, isn't it?"

"There's a lot of sad stuff in the world," Emerald replied.

The two stayed close for a few minutes before a totally crazy, impulsive thought occurred to Emerald. "Hey, why don't we go together?

Pyrrha drew back, looking both surprised and a little hopeful. "Really?

"I mean, going alone and being sad would suck," Emerald reasoned. "Being together and sad might suck less, right?"

Pyrrha did chuckle a bit at this. "That…does sound nice. But, don't you have plans with Mercury?"

Emerald shook her head. "It doesn't matter. We were just going together for convenience. He'll probably be happy for an excuse to do his own thing."

"As long as he's okay with it..." Pyrrha smiled. "We'll have a fun time. I'm sure of it."

Emerald found herself smiling back. "Totally!"

Later on, it occurred to Emerald that this was a perfect opportunity to keep an eye on Pyrrha during the dance. Cinder would likely be pleased with that. Strangely enough, however, she felt no burning desire to inform her leader of this change. Instead, she waited until late at night and crept into bed while her teammates were sleeping in order to avoid talking to any of them.

…..

On the night of the dance, Emerald found herself surprisingly excited. She checked herself in the mirror several times and actually liked what she saw. She had decided to wear a simple, dark green dress. It was unassuming, which she liked, but also highlighted her eyes in a way that her usual outfit didn't do.

Mercury and Cinder had already left. Emerald was a little disappointed that they hadn't even stopped to talk to her or even tell her that she looked nice. _Wow. Cinder was right. You really are turning into an idiot teen._

This night wasn't about fun and games, after all. It was about monitoring the students so that Cinder could plant her virus in the computer systems. Why was Emerald having such a hard time remembering what was important?

Just as she was asking herself that, there was a knock at the door. She opened it, and her mind went utterly blank for a good few seconds.

Standing on the other side of the door was Pyrrha, looking even more like a literal goddess than she usually did. Her hair and headpiece looked the same, but her normal outfit had been replaced with a long red dress that was slit on one side.

 _Hot damn._ Emerald struggled to regain her composure. "Uh, wow. You look great."

"Thank you!" Pyrrha blushed. "You look quite nice as well."

"Thanks." Emerald stepped out into the hallway. "So, are we waiting for the others, or do we just go?"

"Ren and Nora will meet us there," Pyrrha replied. "Jaune…I'm not sure."

Emerald shook her head. "Okay, I'm gonna get you a dance with that idiot. Seriously."

"He's not an idiot!" Pyrrha shot back automatically.

"In this specific scenario, he totally is. Doesn't mean he's not a good person." The two started toward the gymnasium.

Emerald had to admit that the dorks from Team RWBY had done a pretty good job decorating the place. If she had been a regular student, she would have been totally hyped for this.

Pyrrha took Emerald's hand and led her to the dance floor, causing the latter's heart to do a weird flip.

Okay, maybe she _was_ a bit hyped.

The two shared a few dances before meeting up with Ren and Nora, who were on a totally-not-together-together-friend-date. Emerald wasn't fooled. She saw the way they kept checking each other out when they thought no one was looking.

Everything went smoothly until Emerald and Pyrrha took a break from dancing. Emerald made her way to the punch bowl, noticing Jaune and Ruby standing there awkwardly. She hung back not sure if she was ready for a conversation with Ruby just then. As a result, she caught the end of the talk those two were already having.

"Hold my punch." Jaune handed Ruby his cup, which she calmly took a sip out of, and started toward where that one blue-haired dweeb was laughing with Blake and that monkey Faunus.

 _Oh no._ Normally, Emerald would have loved to watch the immature teen drama play out all the way to its hilarious end. If it had been anyone but Jaune, she would have probably watched the impending fight while munching on popcorn and smirking to herself. Instead, she found herself pushing through the crowd until she managed to grab Jaune's arm when he was a few feet away from his target.

"Cool your testosterone, dummy," she growled, yanking him back. Jaune resisted for a moment, showing surprising strength, but eventually deflated and followed Emerald to the snack table. "I just stopped you from doing something you'd definitely regret. You're welcome," she said dryly.

"I know," Jaune sighed. "I just… How could he break Weiss's heart like that when she actually wanted to go with him?"

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Jaune, I doubt Weiss is that fragile. Also, the dude had a right to say no. I don't think he deserves a punch in the face." When Jaune stared at the ground, she sighed. "Are you actually mad at him?"

"No," Jaune admitted. "Just…frustrated, I guess." He managed a smile. "Pyrrha said you two were coming together. I, uh, hope she didn't see that just now."

"No, we were taking a break." Emerald noticed something over Jaune's shoulder. "But, she may be up for a dance right about now." She spun him around, pointing toward the stairs to the balcony, where Pyrrha was making her way up. "As her date, I give you permission."

"Wow, she looks great!" he commented, feeling a flush in his cheeks. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Yeah," Emerald said. "You're actually the one she wants to be here with."

"Wait, what?" Jaune gaped. "Really?"

"Yep," Emerald said calmly. "Now, why are you still standing here?"

"Uh, right!" Jaune walked toward the stairs, his anger toward Neptune utterly forgotten as he hurried to chase down his partner.

Emerald leaned against the table, feeling oddly satisfied. Behind her, she heard a giggle that made her turn around.

Ren and Nora were standing by the snack table, Nora looking ready to burst with excitement. "Oh. My. Gosh. This is happening! Emerald, if those two get together because of you, I'm totally gonna kiss you!"

Why was it suddenly so hot? Emerald smiled. "Glad I could help. Watching those two was becoming physically painful."

"Ugh, I know! Try living with them!" Nora eagerly grabbed Emerald's hand. "Come on! You can dance with us till they get back.

After just a few minutes, Emerald concluded that Ren was probably the best dancer to ever exist. The fluidity of his movements, his calm confidence… It was easy to see why Nora was all doe-eyed over him.

All was well until something caught Emerald's eye on the dance floor: Cinder.

Her presence in the gym meant that she was already done infiltrating the computer systems. Now, she was back, wearing a stunning dress that made Emerald's mouth go dry. And she was dancing with Mercury. Her eyes locked on Emerald briefly, and she took that split second to flash a look of disapproval toward her subordinate for not even paying attention to her surroundings, for acting like the stupid, innocent teen she obviously wasn't.

Emerald's heart sank. She felt her eyes welling up and she hurriedly excused herself and rushed outside.

Ren looked in the direction of Cinder and Mercury, catching the tail-end of the former's glare before the two went back to dancing. His eyes narrowed.

"Ren, what-Oh." Nora frowned when she saw where her friend was looking.

Pyrrha and Jaune returned just then, their faces flushed and their hands entwined after several dances together. Their smiles faded when they saw Ren and Nora.

"What is it?" Jaune asked.

"Cinder," Ren grumbled before going after Emerald. The rest of his team was quick to follow.

They found her outside, sitting on a bench and taking deep, steadying breaths. Ren sat on one side, activating his Semblance. Pyrrha sat on the other side, giving Emerald a hug.

Emerald's breath hitched before her emotions started to automatically calm down. So many feelings flooded her and would have overwhelmed her if not for Ren: sadness, heartbreak, guilt, confusion… She sniffed quietly, forcing a smile. "Thanks," she muttered.

Jaune nodded, placing a hand on her back. "Don't worry about it. As of right now, I say you're Team JNPR's date!"

"I second that!" Nora chirped.

Pyrrha and Ren nodded.

Emerald closed her eyes, allowing herself to draw comfort from this team of wonderful, selfless, too-kind-for-their-own-good dorks. As she did, she realized that she was no longer looking at Cinder's plan as the salvation she had once seen it as.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed those thoughts aside, opened her eyes and pasted on a practiced smile, because that was what she had to do. "Anyone want to dance?"

 **I'm really enjoying typing from Emerald's perspective, and it's fun making Cinder as despicable as I personally find her to be. The instant we heard that slap in the flashback episode, it was pretty clear what Cinder and Emerald's relationship was. Next time, there will be a bunch of five-way bonding as Emerald's time to decide on her loyalties runs lower and lower.**

 **If you like what you see and want to show extra support while earning sweet rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.**

 **Peace out!**


	4. Second Thoughts

**Hey, everyone! Ready for the next chapter of this little gem? Good! Have I mentioned how much I love writing Emerald? I have? Well, let's get right into it, then!**

 **Enjoy!**

Happiness was something that was, to Emerald, fickle at best, totally unfamiliar at worst. The happiness she was feeling that night as she walked through the Vytal Festival with Team JNPR was the most unfamiliar kind of all.

It wasn't the spiteful happiness she felt whenever she stole something, the tentative happiness she felt whenever Cinder showed the slightest sign of approval, or even the confused happiness that had filled her during her past few weeks of hanging out with Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren. It was true, actual, no-strings-attached happiness, the kind one feels when spending time with people who like them, doing things for fun and for no other reason.

Just a few hours ago, after the first successful fight of Team CNEM, Emerald had been practically tackled by Nora, who insisted on taking her out to celebrate that night. "The Festival's really kicking up now that the actual tournament has started! I've never been to anything like this before, so we gotta do _everything!_ "

It was honestly a relief to have something to do that night. Since the dance, Emerald found herself going to bed later and later, purposefully avoiding the dorms so that she wouldn't have to endure Cinder's disappointed glares when she walked in. If she was absolutely needed, after all, Cinder would call her.

Cinder never called.

Emerald already knew the plan, anyway. Relying on the paranoia that had descended over Vale since the underground Grimm attack, Cinder would manipulate the tournament match-ups and start whittling away at the sanity of the citizens. The volatile nature of several of the competitors, such as Yang and Coco, would make it easy to stage a supposed attack on Mercury, making the spectators nervous, sowing discourse between the schools, and setting up for an even bigger moment of manipulation later. It would all lead up to the inevitable Grimm invasion that would be attracted by all the concentrated negative emotions in Vale.

Before, this idea had seemed brilliant. Now, it left a queasy feeling in Emerald's stomach. The students, who had seemed like mere pawns before, now had faces, names, and personalities that Emerald couldn't just forget. She was even finding herself feeling nervous about what would happen to that annoying Ruby girl! She was _relieved_ that no one had been hurt during that first Grimm attack.

She was starting to lose sleep over Pyrrha, who would almost definitely be used by Cinder at some point. She just wasn't sure how.

Somehow, she was able to force her mind to temporarily dismiss these thoughts once Nora found her sitting alone in the courtyard after her match, grabbed her hand, and dragged her back toward the Festival and the rest of Team JNPR.

The evening started with a tour of the food stands. "You need to eat a lot after a fight," Ren noted.

"You wouldn't believe how much Nora ate after the Grimm attack," Jaune laughed. "I think she devoured five times her weight!"

Nora grinned proudly. "And I could've gone for six if _someone_ hadn't stopped me." She mock-glared at Ren.

Ren just ruffled her hair, smiling affectionately. "Believe it or not, it is actually possible for you to get sick, Nora."

Nora giggled, leaning into Ren's side. "Nah. I'm too awesome."

Emerald watched the two with a slight smirk. There had been a definite shift between Ren and Nora after the botched attempt by the White Fang to release Grimm into the city. She guessed that some of the sheltered students of Vale were starting to catch on to how dangerous the world actually was, and were deciding to be more honest with themselves and each other.

Actually, there seemed to be a shift in the dynamic of all of Team JNPR. Eyes lingered more. Smiles seemed to hold a softer undertone, regardless of who was interacting with who. The mood of everything was definitely romantic, but there was no jealousy or tension. All four of them seemed to be discovering and tentatively exploring feelings that they all shared.

 _Of course, these saps would be the ones to start a four-person love-fest,_ Emerald thought wryly, and with a slight pang of envy that she would never admit to.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Nora gasped. "They got deep-fried butter!"

"That…honestly sounds disgusting," Pyrrha muttered, feeling a little ill at the very thought.

"Maybe try the deep-fried candy bar first?" Emerald suggested. "That butter seems a bit extreme for the first food of the evening.

"Hey, you gotta go big, or go home!" Nora insisted, hurrying over to the stand. "Ren, I'll get you the fried pineapple, okay?"

"Okay," Ren called.

"Well, I'm getting the deep-fried PB&J," Jaune declared. "What do you want, Em? I'm treating the winner!"

Emerald smiled. Cinder had, unsurprisingly, not offered a reward to her team for doing well in the first round. "I think I'll try the deep-fried watermelon. It sounds too weird to not try."

"Will do!" Jaune turned to Pyrrha. "And for you, milady?"

Pyrrha's cheeks flushed. "The fried candy bar looks nice."

"Coming up!" Jaune said, walking away cheerily.

Once he was gone, Emerald let out a laugh. "Milady? Dust, he's such a dork."

That observation only made Pyrrha's smile bigger. "I know."

After happily munching on their fried food (Ren ended up sharing his pineapple with Nora when she predictably gagged on the fried butter, while Emerald couldn't bring herself to share a single bite of the juicy, batter-dipped melon slice), they sought out a noodle stand that Sun had recommended to them. Next came a crepe stand that combined over a dozen different sweet sauces with a slew of rare fruits, many of which were imported from other kingdoms. Then, there was the cheese fries and chili dog stand. Then, Emerald and Ren insisted on taking a break from food.

They started toward some of the games, Nora happily munching on the last few fries.

"Where do you put it all?" Emerald wondered. "How are you so freaking tiny?"

Nora giggled. "I convert food into pure energy! Then, BOOM! Lightning! If I was any bigger, I could destroy a whole town."

Jaune casually rested his arm on top of her head. "And, you make a great armrest."

"Hey!" Nora swatted at Jaune. "Pyrrha, make him stop!"

Pyrrha considered for a moment before also resting her arm on Nora's head. "You're right, Jaune!"

"Heeeeeeeyyyyy!" Nora whined.

Both Emerald and Ren were trying and failing to suppress their laughter, which caused Nora to fold her arms and glare sullenly at them.

 _Damn, she's adorable when she pouts,_ Emerald found herself thinking. These thoughts were becoming way too frequent for her liking. "Okay, guys. Let's stop picking on the short person."

"Aw, but it's one of the few perks we tall people get," Jaune protested. He backed off with a grin as Nora turned her glare on him.

The games were the basic fair activities that one would expect, at first glance. However, when one drew closer, they would find that there were strength tests that boasted mallets that no normal human should be able to lift. There were ball-throwing games where the bottles were filled with a combination of Dust and firecracker powder, shooting off rainbow sparks that the thrower had to dodge in order to get a top-shelf prize. There were fishing pools where the prey consisted of robotic fish that had to be shot rather than caught.

These games, of course, were Hunter-only attractions, and required a school ID in order to participate.

Emerald busied herself with a game that involved shooting tiny, diluted Dust pellets at targets and ducking whenever a wooden Grimm shot sparks at her. She was too slow for a comical Nevermore with a beak that resembled a parrot's more than a raven's, and left with a tiny stuffed elephant and a singed eyebrow.

Nora, of course, won a top-shelf prize at the strength test. She immediately picked out a giant sloth, hugging it excitedly to her chest. "Fair toys are always so fluffy!"

Jaune eyed Emerald's face. "Not quite fast enough with the sparks, were you?"

"Think you can do better?" Emerald challenged.

"Uh, no. I know for a fact that I can't," Jaune said bluntly. "I'd probably lose half my hair."

"It could be a new fashion statement," Pyrrha teased.

Jaune laughed. "Nah. I'll leave fashion to Weiss."

Emerald noticed how easily Jaune talked about Weiss now. She was glad to see that there were no hard feelings between them. Then, she was very confused as to why she cared whether or not there were hard feelings between them.

 _They'll both probably be dead by the end of all this, anyway._

Her throat tightened, and she felt a sharp, painful sensation akin to her ribcage closing in on her heart and lungs. She took a quick breath, keeping her expression the same through sheer force of will. That old mantra of "They'll die, anyway." was no longer doing what it was supposed to do. It wasn't stopping her from feeling attached to the idiots she was inevitably going to betray. Honestly, it hadn't been working for a while, but she had still been able to ignore the increased sickening feeling in her gut.

Now, however, with the tournament starting and the actual plan being set in motion…

Ren noticed Emerald's sharp intake of breath and frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Ah, yeah," Emerald said quickly. "I just, uh, got a foot cramp."

Nora winced, grimacing with sympathy. "Ugh, those are the worst. Let's sit down over there."

"I'll get some water," Ren offered. "You're probably dehydrated."

Emerald followed them to a bench, acting like her foot was hurt, not feeling even slightly relieved that her lie had worked. _They're so concerned over a stupid pain in my foot that isn't even real! How can people this stupidly nice exist?! It's not fair! Why couldn't they all be entitled douchebags?!_

That's what she had thought all the students were: entitled rich people who wore the title of Hunter like a shiny new outfit and smiled for cameras while those less skilled or less fortunate than them continued to suffer.

But, they weren't. They were weirdly-charming chatterboxes, like Nora. They were deep, wise, understanding souls, like Ren. They were determined dorks who just wanted to make a difference, like Jaune. They were kind, humble people who always were ready to pick others up off the ground, like Pyrrha.

How could Emerald possibly betray them?

On the other hand, how could Emerald possibly betray Cinder?

They sat for a few minutes, long enough for Emerald's fake foot cramp to go away. Pyrrha suggested going into town and checking out some of the market stands that had been set up.

"Most of the attractions around the school are basic things you would expect at any fair," she explained. "But it's in town where there's a real cultural education to be had. People have come from all over Remnant for this, after all. I remember the last time it was held in Mistral. Once you left the main Festival area, you could find practically anything from anywhere!"

She didn't mention that she had ended up spending most of that Vytal Festival signing autographs and smiling for pictures. She honestly couldn't wait to actually browse through the stands with her friends as a normal festival-goer.

Emerald found herself smiling again in the face of Pyrrha's eagerness. "I've seen a few cultural festivals over the years. Fun fact: The further you get from the main area of the fair, the more obscure merchandise you'll find."

"Ooh!" Nora gasped. "Maybe, we'll find a jewel that once belonged to a great king, holding the ghosts of a thousand tormented soldiers!"

"No thanks," Jaune said. "No haunted artifacts for me." He grinned at Pyrrha. "But I definitely wouldn't mind seeing some of the weapons from Atlas."

"I wonder if there's a stand selling Mistral cooking supplies," Ren pondered. "I do need a bamboo steamer for some of the new recipes I've been looking at."

After a quick detour to put Nora's giant sloth plush in Team JNPR's room, the five set off down the path off campus and into Vale. They saw several stands from well-known chain stores and some larger establishments that were based in the other kingdoms. They passed these, as most of the wares from those stores could be easily purchased online at any time. As Emerald predicted, the stands got more interesting and unique as they got further into town.

Their first stop was a medium-sized Atlesian stand representing a slowly-rising chain of coffee houses named The Melting Heart, which was hoping to spread to the other kingdoms. A selection of hot chocolates was available, along with homemade marshmallows of various sizes and shapes. Though it wasn't particularly cold out, the group gladly bought some. The others smiled fondly at how excited Jaune was to see that some of the marshmallows were shaped like little bunnies.

Nora pointed out a stand of imported weapons and different kinds of Dust pellets. The group oohed and ahed before moving on, as they were already satisfied with their own weapons.

Further on, they found a tiny place run by a Menagerie deer Faunus, who was selling a modest assortment of baked goods. The baklava ended up being one of the best things Emerald had ever tasted. She gladly bought three and devoured them while finishing her minty cocoa (with flower-shaped marshmallows).

Pyrrha and Ren took an interest in a stand selling Mistral yukatas and kimonos. There was even a selection of kimonos that customers could try on in a small changing booth. Pyrrha noticed one that was jade-green and trimmed with silver and embroidered with designs of darker green leaves.

"Emerald, you should try this one on. You'd look lovely in it."

Emerald blushed a little and walked over, running her hand over the silk. She let out a soft, longing sigh. She had always had a weakness for extravagant items, mostly because she regularly dreamed of being rich enough to afford them. This kimono probably wasn't considered extravagant by rich people standards, but it was really nice. "I don't think I have enough Lien," she muttered regretfully.

"Try it on anyway!" Nora urged. She was eying a pink and lavender kimono with little white sakura flowers stitched on the front. "Trying on pretty clothes is a great way to feel classy. It's kinda like splurging on sushi. Makes you feel rich for a little while."

Ren nodded. "Considering how much we're going to spend on the Festival, we should probably not get sushi this month, though."

"Aw…" Nora pouted. "You're probably right."

Emerald couldn't argue with Nora's logic, so she went into the booth and changed clothes. The silk felt cool and soothing against her skin. She stepped out and looked in the mirror. An involuntary smile came to her face at what she saw.

She looked great! The silver made her red eyes pop, and her hair was complimented rather than overshadowed by the green silk. As she smiled at her reflection, she realized that she looked utterly different from before, in her expression and in the way she was standing, as well as the obvious physical change that came with the kimono. Was it the kimono, or that weirdly-real smile that was making her look beautiful just then?

She was distracted from the intricacies of that thought as she looked at her friends when they came out wearing their kimonos. Nora looked absolutely adorable in the pink one she had selected. Pyrrha had chosen a bright red piece with gold dragons embroidered on the sleeves, and looked every bit as gorgeous as she had at the dance. Jaune looked both handsome and adorable in a navy piece trimmed with baby blue birds. Ren emerged in a magenta kimono that had little green snakes slithering all over the silk, looking amazing as always.

They posed and took a few pictures. Emerald laughed as Nora hugged her around the waist while taking a selfie. She yelped, then giggled when Jaune and Pyrrha managed to lift her up for another picture. She grinned when Ren attempted to make a funny face for a group shot, but just ended up crossing his eyes and looking mildly confused.

After changing back into their street clothes, they went on their way, Emerald feeling practically buoyant, her feet seeming to barely skim the ground. _Sweet Dust, am I actually skipping right now?!_

Nora and Jaune found a stand from Vacuo that was selling children's toys, some of which seemed a bit questionable as far as safety was concerned. Nora was particularly fascinated with a wind-up dragon that jumped around like a man on hot coals, and spat sparks at random intervals.

"That looks like a lawsuit waiting to happen," Emerald noted. "Not that I wouldn't have loved something like that as a kid, of course."

"Simple wooden weapons were enough for me," Ren murmured. "I always played at being a warrior, but had no idea what it meant until later."

Emerald cocked her head. Something about Ren's tone made her ask: "Where did you grow up, Ren?"

"Kuroyuri," Ren murmured. "Nora and I both came from there. When we were little, there was a Grimm, the most horrifying thing I've ever seen, and it destroyed everything. We were the only survivors."

"Oh." Emerald looked from Ren to Nora, who was staring at what looked like a handful of firecrackers. "So, you guys are like me," she muttered.

But, they weren't like Emerald. Against all reason, Nora was the happiest, bubbliest person Emerald had ever known. Ren was incredibly wise, calm, and kind. How could they be that way after losing everything?

Ren gave Emerald a sympathetic look. "You're an orphan too?"

Emerald nodded. "Had to steal in order to get by for as long as I can remember."

"You do what you have to, just like everyone," Ren pointed out. "You were very lucky to have been found by an Academy. Nora and I traveled alone for a long time, then ended up in an orphanage. We had no idea what we were going to do with our lives until we realized that we could be Hunters."

"Yeah," Emerald murmured. "I was lucky to have been found."

By Cinder. She had been found by Cinder. She had been saved by Cinder. She was loyal to Cinder.

So, why was it that every moment with these dorks made Emerald less and less sure of her beloved employer's plans?

Ren noticed Emerald's change in expression and recognized it well. It was suppressed grief. Gently, he placed a hand on her shoulder and activated his Semblance. He was used to doing so whenever Nora started to look too obviously sad while in public. He knew that she hated it when she had a meltdown in front of other people, so calming her down was a normal affair with him. He'd feel her growing sadness and/or panic and hurry to soothe it.

This time, however, he didn't feel that. In Emerald, he felt a nearly dizzying wave of guilt, mixed with intense confusion and anger. He barely kept from physically gasping at the force of it and instead kept his hand in place as he calmed her down as he usually would Nora. Thankfully, no one actually knew that his Semblance also let him feel the emotions of the person he was healing.

Emerald took a breath and smiled at Ren. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Ren replied, though he was more than a little shaken. _Her emotions this time are totally different from her expression… What in the world does she feel so guilty about, and why is she so angry when she looks happy?_ He knew that it wasn't his place to ask. After all, maybe there were memories of Emerald's past that were best not shared. He could understand that.

However, he couldn't shake the feeling that there had been more to Emerald's guilt and confusion, something that would keep bothering him until he figured it out.

The five finished browsing the stands, buying a few extra goodies for the walk back. Emerald was yawning as she finished a box of sweet mochi stuffed with strawberries. She felt utterly full, as well as another foreign feeling. It almost felt like being full, but the feeling extended to her mind and chest as well. She couldn't quite place what that emotion could possibly be called.

She knew that she felt it when she stumbled into Jaune and he responded by wrapping a supportive arm around her shoulders. She felt it when Pyrrha brushed her hair out of her face, touching her cheek with gentle fingers. She felt it when Nora hugged her goodnight, when Ren smiled at her and urged her to sleep well.

She felt it up until she approached her dorm room, where her feelings were replaced with emotions she knew too well: resignation and nervous apprehension for what Cinder would do or say the following morning.

Then, of course, she berated herself for having such feelings. _Stop thinking like that,_ she thought fiercely. _You are happy to be serving Cinder. She saved your worthless life. You owe her everything, and Team JNPR nothing. So, stop feeling sad about doing what you obviously have to do to repay the only person who matters!_

Try as she might, she couldn't shake off the memory of that happy, full feeling. Wasn't that what she had been hoping for originally? Wasn't that what she had wanted for herself?

Wasn't that what she should be striving for?

Despite Ren's prior encouragement, Emerald didn't sleep that night.

 **Next update will be the Fall of Beacon. Or…will it? Dun dun DUN!**

 **If you like what you see and want to show extra support while earning sweet rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.**

 **Peace out!**


	5. The Fall

**Look who's back with your new favorite OT5! Don't worry. I haven't forgotten this, or "Single Neighbor." I just ended up powering through all of the "Leo et Cygnus" chapters first, so I could focus on the other pieces I need to do.**

 **Enjoy!**

A heavy silence hung over the Team JNPR dorm room. There was still an overtone of shock after what they had witnessed: Yang attacking Mercury at the end of their match, breaking his knee when the fight was already hers.

Nora slumped against the wall with a sigh. "I believe her, for the record," she said into the quiet.

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "You think Mercury attacked her? We all saw that he didn't."

"I mean, I believe she thought he did," Nora clarified. "She's been training like crazy. Maybe she didn't have enough water, or something. People sometimes hallucinate stuff when they're really stressed or unhealthy."

"I agree," Ren murmured thoughtfully. "Yang might have anger problems on occasion, but she'd never lash out like that for no reason, especially at an event like this."

Pyrrha said nothing, staring out a nearby window, her mind elsewhere.

Jaune walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. You okay?"

"Hm?" Pyrrha looked up, managing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Yes."

"You sure? You've been kinda distracted since you went to talk to Ozpin."

"Just…worried about some tests," Pyrrha lied, looking back out the window.

"You'll ace them," Nora chirped. "You always do."

Ren walked over. "Would you like some of my Semblance?"

Pyrrha hesitated, then nodded. "That would honestly be grand. Thank you."

Ren touched her shoulder and hid a frown. There was definitely fear and stress in her, but it was a kind that went far beyond worrying about a test. _I'll have Jaune talk to her before her match with Penny. He always knows what to say._ He was glad to at least feel her shoulders relaxing as his Semblance did its work. He leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her cheek.

Ever since the Grimm attack on Vale, Team JNPR had been drawing closer and closer together. He and Nora had shared a kiss in the aftermath, as had Jaune and Pyrrha. Then, they all had huddled close together, not caring who was holding who, or whose lips were touching whose faces. It was a strange, pleasant new dynamic that they would need to discuss in greater detail very soon. Now probably wasn't the time, however.

Ren returned to Nora, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as his mind wandered. Pyrrha. Yang. Emerald. There were certainly a lot of people to worry about. He managed a smile as Nora cuddled up close to him and kissed the side of his neck.

 _At least, I don't have to worry about you,_ he thought fondly as he pecked her nose. _For now, anyway._

…

Emerald realized three things in the time leading up to Pyrrha's match, and she learned them far too late to do her any good.

One: She had fallen out of love with Cinder.

Two: She had fallen _in_ love with not one, but four well-meaning dorks.

Three: She absolutely could not go through with the next part of Cinder's plan.

The guilt that had filled her chest after manipulating Yang was hardening like a rock in her ribcage, a rock that hurt her with every breath and refused to be dislodged. She had felt downright sickened with Mercury and how easily he had been able to joke about the whole thing. Emerald wasn't that close to Yang, but the look of confusion and fear that had come to the proud brawler's face after the illusion dissipated was ingrained on Emerald's mind indelibly.

When Cinder told her what she was to do today, she had nearly gasped aloud.

Pyrrha, whose polarity Semblance had been confirmed by Mercury, would be fighting Penny, whose robotic status had been confirmed by Cinder. Emerald was to make an illusion so overwhelming, Pyrrha would essentially rip her opponent apart in front of the entire crowd. Cinder would broadcast her message, and the resulting horror and anger would be more than enough to draw every Grimm for miles to this spot. Beacon, and all of Vale, would fall.

This was what everything had been building up to since even before Cinder had first found Emerald. This was when everything was supposed to fall into place, leading to the great rebirth of Remnant. This was what Emerald had been waiting for. This is what she had endured for. This was what she was fighting for.

So, why did she feel so queasy?

On the way to the fated match, her mind still in a jumble, she nearly walked right into Jaune. "Whoa. Sorry," she said, her voice distracted.

Jaune didn't seem to notice her tone. "Oh, hey," he replied, his voice glum and a little strained.

Emerald noticed that he looked a little beat up. "Hey, what happened?"

"Huh?" Jaune blinked, as if only just realizing Emerald was there. "Oh! Sorry, Em. I just… There's something up with Pyrrha."

"Pyrrha?" Emerald's heart sank, then sank further as she realized just how worried that small statement had made her. "What happened?"

"I still don't know," Jaune sighed. "I just… I'm not sure. I just don't know." He shook his head, looking like a lost puppy. "I'd better go. Her match is soon. I'll save you a seat, okay?" He waved to Emerald as he walked off, clearly wanting to be alone with his thoughts in the few minutes leading up to the fight.

Emerald watched him go, her guilt tightening like a fist on her roiling stomach. She had no idea what was vexing Pyrrha, but she knew that the rest of Team JNPR would do everything in their power to help her through it. At least, they would if they weren't about to get thrown headfirst into hell.

 _I can't do it,_ Emerald thought, and the truth of that thought blanketed her with a sudden, cold sense of certainty. _I can't do this to them._

Fear warred with her guilt in that moment. Cinder would kill her if she backed out now, as in really and truly kill her! Emerald would be dead by the time this day ended, and Cinder would probably still find a way to go through with her plan.

And Cinder would not shed a single tear.

That realization sank the final nail into the coffin that bore Emerald's dead love for her employer, the woman who had saved her only to shape her into a weapon.

 _I don't want to live. Not if this is what it takes,_ she thought, surprising herself with how much she meant it.

All her life, Emerald had been focused on her own survival. That had been all she fought for, all she cared about, all she knew. During her time at Beacon, with Team JNPR, she had truly _lived_ for the first time. She had known joy, friendship, and so many things she had once dismissed as frivolous fairy tales.

Following Cinder would ensure her survival, but she didn't want to just survive anymore. If this was her last day, she wanted to be happy in the moments leading up to her murder at Cinder's hands. She started to follow Jaune, wanting to be with him and the others, but froze as she realized something.

 _Penny's still in danger. Even if I don't do the illusion, something might go wrong!_ There was no time to wonder whether she should even consider Penny to be a living person. That didn't matter. What mattered was that the crowd would react if she was torn apart, drawing in the Grimm. What mattered was that Pyrrha wouldn't care that she was a robot. She would hate herself for killing her. She would blame herself, even if it wasn't her fault. Emerald would not let her suffer like that. She couldn't.

She made a circle, hurrying to enter the arena through the other side. She watched as the match was announced, and caught a glimpse of Mercury in one of the rooms. _What is he even doing out here?! Does he even care about the plan?!_ The thought that he might not almost made Emerald stop to try and talk to him. Then, she spurred herself onward. There was no time to lose.

She had to make Pyrrha lose the match, and quickly. She needed to use her illusions to make Penny seem as unthreatening as possible, so Pyrrha wouldn't use her Semblance. Jaune had already said that his partner was under the weather, so her losing wouldn't be such a surprise.

 _Sorry, Pyrrha,_ Emerald thought as she tried to focus. _But, this is much better than the alternative._

…

Pyrrha didn't know what was happening! How was she constantly getting hit by things that she couldn't see? In her eyes, Penny was barely experienced with combat and absolutely unfit to be in this tournament. She just jumped around, giggling and smiling, barely dodging Pyrrha's attacks.

Was it a ruse? Pyrrha supposed it could be a ruse. Maybe Penny's Semblance was a kind of camouflage.

It was hard to think, hard to feel. Everything was turning into a tornado of emotions in her mind: Ozpin's offer, her fear, the way she had accidentally hurt Jaune a little while ago. She couldn't concentrate. She needed to end this match now!

Several blows landed on her right side just then. She blindly lashed out with her Semblance, throwing all of her power into getting those unseen weapons away from her.

She thought she heard a cry of "NO!" coming from somewhere in the crowd. Then, she heard a ripping sound. Suddenly, the blades Penny had been using became visible. Sunlight glinted off the edges, as well as something in the air, something that looked like filaments of a spider's web.

One of these filaments grew taut, catching on Penny's arm.

Then, there was a rip followed by a shower of sparks. Then, Penny fell to her knees. Her left arm clattered to the ground next to her.

Pyrrha stood, shock numbing her entire body as she stared at her opponent, at Ruby's friend, at her fellow student. Penny was twitching. Her head kept going up and down like a demonic bobble head.

"Error. Error. System malfunction." Penny's voice was a chilling monotone. She fell forward. The metallic clang of her body rang out in the arena with absolute finality, echoing in the stunned silence.

Emerald caught a glimpse of the deep horror on Pyrrha's face. She saw Ruby hurrying out to the arena, only to fall on her knees, her face twisted with a grieved, distraught expression that looked so incredibly wrong on the chipper, annoying, kindhearted girl Emerald had come to know.

There was a sound of static. Then, all of the screens were lit up with a familiar black queen chess piece. The plan was still in motion.

Emerald ran. She didn't know where she was running, but she knew that she needed to find Cinder. She didn't know what she could do, but she needed to do it quickly.

Dodging Grimm and fleeing civilians, she searched desperately for her former boss. She thought she caught a glimpse of Weiss and Blake, and hurried to avoid them. Then, miraculously, there was a buzz on her Scroll. It was from Cinder, reminding her of the meeting place.

 _She doesn't know,_ Emerald realized. _She doesn't know I was trying to stop Pyrrha._ She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She summoned all of the cunning she had picked up over the years and started to formulate the basic beginnings of a plan.

She found Cinder and Mercury on a rooftop facing Beacon. Mercury was filming the destruction taking place below, looking particularly gleeful. Emerald barely kept from showing her disgust.

Cinder glanced at Emerald. "You're lucky these people are so sensitive," she growled, her eyes flashing. "Was that really the best you could do?"

 _No. It wasn't._ Emerald bowed her head. Her best would have prevented all of this. Even as she let Cinder think her shame was due to the chastising, she felt a brief moment of anger at herself. How had she not realized before that Cinder didn't think anything of her? How had she been so blind? Nothing would have satisfied Cinder, even if Emerald had continued scraping and bowing to her every whim. She had been so desperate to cling to the first person who pretended to show her kindness, she had refused to realize how deeply she was being conned.

 _No more,_ she thought. When Cinder sent her and Mercury away, she cast an illusion on Mercury to make him think she was following, and cast another one on Cinder to make her think she had gone. Using her Semblance on two people was causing her head to hurt, but she tried to keep her vision clear as she drew her weapons and snuck up behind her former boss.

Then, she saw something that nearly made her drop the vision: Pyrrha and Jaune were following Ozpin into the school. Cinder was watching them, her expression purely murderous.

Emerald remembered Amber, remembered the power that Cinder needed, remembered the true purpose behind the destruction of Beacon.

 _They're going to defend the Fall Maiden,_ Emerald realized. That meant only one thing: Cinder was going to kill them all!

Mercury was far enough away for Emerald to focus her attention on her true enemy. As Cinder leaped down from the building, Emerald cast a new illusion. It was a subtle one, one that would be difficult to notice even if someone knew Emerald's Semblance was being used on them. It made everything appear as if it was just a little to the left of where it normally was. So, when Cinder hurried toward where she thought the entrance to Beacon was, she actually was running diagonally toward a different part of the building, and right at a Grimm hoard.

Emerald gritted her teeth, forcing herself to keep focusing on Cinder, even if that meant watching her former boss being devoured by Grimm. Whatever feelings of anger or betrayal she felt, she knew she wasn't looking forward to watching that.

Cinder was knocked to the side by an Ursa. She tumbled to the ground, then froze, as if mentally calculating something. Then, she spun around, shooting fireballs at the rooftops where Emerald was.

That was enough to break Emerald's concentration. She dived to the side, barely managing to get to the ground, feeling searing heat just inches from her back. When the fire cleared and she stood up, Cinder had already disappeared into Beacon. She hurried after her.

Sounds of fighting and shouting were coming from below, so Emerald hastened to the elevator, only to see it shooting up in a blaze of fire. She only caught a glimpse of the person inside, but she knew it was Cinder.

She didn't know what was happening. She didn't know if Pyrrha, Jaune, and Ozpin were alive or dead. She didn't know what that loud roaring coming from outside was. She just knew that she had to follow Cinder. She opened a nearby door and ran up the stairs.

As she got closer and closer to the top of the tower, Emerald felt the building jolt. There were several smaller tremors as the stairs under her feet shook. It felt as if something huge was climbing up the school. Swallowing her fear, she kept running. Pure instinct was driving her now. Things like rational thought and self-preservation were long gone. She didn't deserve that kind of luxury.

She reached the top and paused long enough to hear Cinder's voice coming from a nearby door.

"You're home now. You can still fix this, can't you?" The voice came out as an adoring coo, tinged with more than a little panic, as if Cinder was trying to convince herself, as well as whoever she was talking to.

Emerald burst through the door, her twin sickles ready, only to freeze in her tracks and let out an involuntary scream at what was waiting for her.

A Grimm eye was peering through the window, the largest one she had ever seen. The skull-like face it rested on was long and cruel. She could see leathery wings and sharp fangs. A Dragon. Cinder was talking to a Dragon.

Cinder spun around at the scream and her face darkened with rage. "You!" She flung a fireball at Emerald, which was just barely dodged. "You traitor!" Another blast of frantic flames. Emerald had never seen Cinder lose her composure like this, not even when she would lash out and hurt Emerald for doing something wrong.

Emerald didn't speak. She just flung her weapons out blindly while trying to create an illusion that would let her hurt Cinder.

"I was so close!" Cinder raged, rushing closer to Emerald and taking a swing. Blood filled the younger girl's vision for a moment as she staggered away. "If you hadn't distracted me, I would have- I could have- It was mine!"

The Dragon roared and slammed its muzzle into the window, sensing the distress of the woman who had summoned it. Emerald ran toward it, then ducked behind a desk while creating an illusion of her by the window. _Attack the Dragon,_ she thought. _Get the Dragon to attack._

If the huge Grimm chose to fight Cinder and won, that would be it. The Fall of Beacon wouldn't be undone, but its mastermind would be defeated. Emerald knew that doing this wouldn't end everything. She knew that Cinder had someone higher than her, someone Emerald and Mercury had yet to meet.

Still, Emerald felt that this could be her atonement, or at least something close to it. She wouldn't go to any heaven. She wouldn't be remembered favorably by anyone. Still, doing this might be enough to save the others. If she could die doing that, she would be fine with whatever happened to her soul afterward, if anything would even happen. Maybe everyone just vanished when they died.

Cinder wildly sent another burst of fire at the cracking window. The Dragon roared as the glass broke and its face was blasted with flames and sharp shards. Its head burst into the office and snapped at Cinder, who leaped to the side. There was a pause as Cinder looked left and right, trying to figure out what to do, at a loss for the first time in her life.

A flock of Griffons was flying by. She took her chance. With one shattering jump, she launched herself through the window, disappearing into the night.

Emerald didn't even have time to acknowledge her failure before the Dragon's giant eye turned to focus on her. She felt its growl in the deepest parts of her bones. She saw its maw open, revealing rows of teeth and a throat as deep and black as the emptiness of an urchin's stomach on a cold winter's night. She let out a cry, rushing toward it, her weapons drawn.

There was a snap. Something was closing around her. She was bleeding. Her body was coated with burning heat.

Then, the pressure was gone. There was an inhuman scream. She was being lifted.

Her eyes opened and she saw a blurry, shining shape. An angel? No. No angel would ever come for her, not after what she had done. It had to be a demon.

Funny. This demon looked a lot like Pyrrha. Emerald allowed herself an ironic laugh before she succumbed to the blackness that the Dragon had revealed to her. She would rest forever in it, letting time erase everything about who she had been and who she might have been.

At least she wouldn't be hungry anymore.

 **There are so many things that can change the course of a battle. I wonder what changes would have actually allowed for Penny and Pyrrha's survival. I guess we'll never know.**

 **See you soon with the next update!**

 **Peace out!**


	6. Atonement

**Back to this lovely piece! This is the second to last chapter for Mackenzie Buckle's Minty Gin OT5 fic. This will depict the aftermath of the Fall.**

 **Enjoy!**

Pyrrha would have never imagined that it was possible to endure the kind of pain she had just felt, and live to tell about it afterward. As Amber's Aura merged with hers, she could _feel_ the other woman dying. She felt it as clearly as if she was the one losing her grip on life. She felt the Fall Maiden's fear, her desperation, the way she tried to cling to her lifeforce as it was forcibly sapped away.

One last bloodcurdling scream was ripped from Pyrrha before she went limp and the machine simmered down. Her muscles were twitching. She felt as if she had been injected with the most powerful stimulant drug in the world. She was hot. Burning. There was too much power within her. She wanted to claw at her skin until the energy leaked out and allowed her to breathe again.

She was vaguely aware of Jaune helping her out of the capsule, aware of his sobbing voice begging her to be okay. Then, she heard a cry of rage.

She looked up, vaguely recognizing Cinder before a ball of flame was launched toward them. Ozpin blocked it easily.

"Get Pyrrha out of here!" he ordered as a green Aura shield formed around him.

Jaune didn't need to be told twice. He picked Pyrrha up and bolted toward the stairs. _Never take an elevator in a crisis. Never take an elevator in a crisis,_ he reminded himself frantically.

"Jaune…" Pyrrha groaned. Her entire body seemed to be pulsing with energy. Flashes of scenery and people she had never seen before burned against her eyelids.

"I'm here, Pyrrha," he assured her as he started up the stairs. "I'm getting you out of here."

"Ozpin…"

"He can take care of himself," Jaune cut in. His mind was racing. He still wasn't sure exactly what Ozpin had done to Pyrrha, but it had obviously not been good. _I'll have to yell at him later. If we don't die._ His brain was had gone into full battle mode, focusing only on the matter at hand and refusing to actually think about the fact that they may die in the next few hours.

As they neared the main level, there was an explosion from below, followed by the sound of something racing upward unnaturally fast. The elevator.

Jaune burst through the door, making a beeline toward the outside. There were scorch marks all around the elevator doors. Cinder must have escaped Ozpin. Or, she had killed him and then escaped. A pang of horror managed to pierce Jaune's shock-numbed outer shell.

"Wait," Pyrrha gasped. She could smell the smoke. More than that, she could _feel_ Cinder. That stolen scrap of power was drawing the rest of Amber's Aura like a beacon. "She's…She's up…"

"I know," Jaune said. "Let's put you down, and I'll call Professor Goodwitch."

Pyrrha staggered to her feet as Jaune attempted to lay her down on the ground. She braced herself against a wall, taking deep breaths. The power was starting to settle within her, recognizing its new host. She was still dizzy, and her legs didn't feel like they belonged to her, but she could fight. She knew she could!

"Go," she gasped. "I can…"

"Don't even think about it!" Jaune snapped. He was already sending a message to Glynda. "You can barely walk!"

"She's angry," Pyrrha said desperately. "Something's happening. I know it!" She glanced toward the outside. If Jaune was just a little closer to that stray locker…

"Fine," Jaune said before Pyrrha could go any further with that plan. " _I'll_ go up there."

"No!" Pyrrha insisted. "I'm going!"

They both jumped as a crash sounded from upstairs. Jaune realized there was no time to argue. "We're both going. Come on!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the stairwell.

As they got higher, they heard a scream. It was a voice they knew. Emerald.

Jaune's vision turned red as he ran faster.

Pyrrha felt a sudden surge as she rushed ahead. She didn't hear Jaune's dismayed cry behind her. All she felt was anger. Cinder's anger. Her own anger. She knew that Emerald was in mortal danger, and she would do anything to save her. That was all that mattered, and her new powers sensed this and focused themselves entirely on the task at hand.

She reached the top and saw the Dragon, saw a bleeding Emerald being crunched in its jaws. Her arms raised themselves instinctively. Her eyes burned with light as white-hot flames shot from her hands and at the Dragon's throat. The creature screamed, dropping its prey to the floor before leaping off the tower and flying crookedly toward Vale

Pyrrha ran over to Emerald, picking her up delicately. Blood was pouring from several bite wounds, and her body was covered with burns. Her breaths came out as weak, shaky rattles.

Jaune got to the top of the stairs, gasping when he saw his friend cradled in Pyrrha's arms. "Come on," he managed to croak. "We have to get out of here!"

They left Ozpin's office and didn't look back, not even when they caught a glimpse of their headmaster emerging from the basement, calling for them to wait.

…..

Everything was hell in the aftermath. People were being evacuated. Some had simply run off altogether, like Blake. Yang had lost an arm. Weiss had been taken away by her father. Ruby was inconsolable, spending all of her time with a small team of Atlas mechanics, who were trying to repair Penny before transporting her home.

Emerald didn't wake up until three days after the attack ended. At first, she saw only white light and thought she was dead. Then, several faces came into view.

There was Jaune, smiling down at her. The warm hand clutching hers belonged to him. Ren and Nora were on the other side. Ren's hand was on her shoulder as he filled her with a steady stream of positive emotions. He had likely been doing so to keep any nightmares at bay while Emerald fought to regain consciousness. Nora let out a choked sob when Emerald's eyes fluttered open, looked like she was about to hug her, then thought better of it.

Emerald tried to sit up, gasped as every part of her body cried out in protest, and slumped back. "Where…?"

"You're in one of the infirmaries," Jaune explained. "A bunch of refugee camps have been set up just outside of Beacon for anyone too injured to get further away."

"What happened?" Emerald asked. "I was fighting Cinder, then the Dragon…"

"Pyrrha got to you before the Dragon could finish you off," Ren explained. He hesitated before saying: "We need to get Ozpin now. He wants to ask you some questions."

Emerald forced herself into a sitting position, waving away Jaune's attempt to stop her. "I'll tell him everything I know," she said, her voice resigned.

Jaune's face darkened with sadness. "So, you _were_ involved." He hadn't wanted to believe it. He had hoped that Cinder had perhaps done everything herself, without the knowledge of her teammates, and that Emerald was just an innocent victim.

"At first," Emerald murmured, staring at her hands so she couldn't look at the disappointment she knew was on her friends' faces. "Cinder promised that her boss could remake the world, so that people like me wouldn't ever be forced to starve on the streets again. She saved my life."

"And who is this boss?" Ozpin's voice cut in. He was just entering the room with Pyrrha. "Did she give you a name?"

Emerald nodded, focusing her attention on the headmaster. She could handle his disappointment better than Team JNPR's. "Salem. I know her name is Salem, but I don't know much else."

Ozpin nodded gravely. "I thought so." He turned to Team JNPR. "If you would like to remain here, you may."

"I want them here," Emerald said, hesitantly looking at each of them. "They deserve to know." She could see so many varying expressions that made her heart hurt: sadness for Jaune, shock and betrayal for Nora, deep disappointment for Ren, and a look of stunned heartbreak for Pyrrha.

Emerald told Ozpin about how Cinder saved her from starving to death. She told him about the recruitment of Mercury, the blackmailing of the White Fang, the attack on Amber, and the plan to take Beacon.

Pyrrha shuddered when she learned what originally should have happened with Penny. "When she fell like that, I though I had killed her," she admitted.

Emerald shook her head. "I was supposed to do an illusion that would make you tear her apart. I couldn't bring myself to do it, though. I tried to stop it. I tried making her as unthreatening as possible, so you wouldn't use your Semblance." She sighed. "Too little, too late."

She wondered if she could have done anything differently. Apparently, Mercury had been confronting Ruby when she had rushed past. If she had stopped him and Ruby had managed to warn someone, would things have been different? Or would it still have been too late?

Ozpin was nodding slowly. To Emerald's shock, his disappointment had turned to sympathy. "So, Cinder targeted two children, one of whom a starving urchin who happened to have a useful Semblance, the other an abused boy who had just been forced to kill his own father in self-defense."

Emerald gaped, then quickly shook her head. "I don't want your pity. I know what I did, what I helped cause. I deserve to be locked away." She fell back against the pillow. "You could always feed me to the Dragon, if you want."

"No!" Nora snapped, standing abruptly, her eyes blazing. "You're not getting out of this that easily! You need to help make things right!"

Ozpin nodded. "Well said, Miss Valkyrie." He placed a hand on Emerald's arm. "Older, smarter, and less desperate people than you have been used by Salem before. Still, you are responsible for your actions. As these events happened in Vale, you are now under my custody. I could imprison you, but that would do little good. If you truly wish to make up for the part you played in this, I charge you to fight against Cinder and whatever else Salem sends against us. When this is over, if you are alive and have remained fighting with us throughout this war, you will be pardoned."

Emerald was stunned, even as she felt Nora's explosive anger like a physical blow. After everything, Ozpin was offering her a second chance?

Whatever happened next, life was going to be hell, but Emerald was used to that. She probably deserved it at this point. As Nora said, death would be too easy. She needed to work for her atonement.

"I'll do whatever I can," Emerald promised. "Whatever you tell me."

"Good." Ozpin stood up. "Miss Nikos, I will need to discuss our plans to go to Mistral with you, but I'm willing to wait until Miss Rose is ready. In the meantime, try and rest as much as you can. I know this has been difficult for you." He left, leaving an awkward cloud in the room.

Emerald glanced at each of the members of Team JNPR in turn. "Go ahead," she muttered. "Let me have it. Tell me I'm an evil bitch, and that you hate me. I'm ready."

"You're not evil," Ren said immediately. The sadness and regret were plain on his face. "You were used. I should have figured it out sooner." He stood up, pacing back and forth with an agitation that was utterly new to him. "I knew how Cinder was treating you. I knew something was wrong, but I never actually asked you about it. I should have-"

"Don't you dare blame yourself," Nora snapped, her voice crackling like sparks. "Emerald made her own choices!"

"She was manipulated," Pyrrha cut in. "She was desperate and starving."

"So?" Nora asked. "I've been starving, but I never joined an evil death cult!"

"What if I hadn't found you?" Ren asked. "What if it had been someone like Cinder who took you in after Kuroyuri was destroyed?"

This caused Nora to hesitate. "I…" She shook her head. "This is just so wrong!"

Jaune stood up. "Guys, this isn't helping." He looked at Emerald. "Why did you change your mind and try to help us in the end? You never mentioned that when talking to Ozpin."

Emerald's cheeks reddened. "It was…because of you four."

There was silence, so she continued.

"You guys just had to insist on being my friends, didn't you?" She laughed a little ruefully. "I was supposed to keep an eye on you, but I couldn't even do that. I even forgot to report Ren's Semblance to Cinder when I found out about it. You kept distracting me from what I was supposed to be doing, just by being you."

She looked at each of them in turn. "No one has ever cared about me without wanting something in return before. I thought I loved Cinder, because of what she did and what she represented, but…" She trailed off, her face reddening.

"I realized what love and friendship were because of you," she murmured in a tremulous voice, turning her gaze temporarily to her hands. "Before, it was easy to think everyone at Beacon was just part of a flawed system. I could look at a crowd and see people who didn't care about people like me or Mercury. I could believe Cinder when she said that wiping them out was necessary in order to make a better world."

She looked back up at them. "But, they aren't all like that. You aren't like that. I couldn't imagine a better world being made by killing people like you. That's why I couldn't go through with it, why I tried to stop it in the end."

Tears started burning down her bruised cheeks. "When I couldn't do that, I tried to stop Cinder. I tried to stop her from going after you and Ozpin, but she did. I followed her upstairs to try and take her down, but I nearly got myself killed."

"You delayed her?" Pyrrha cut in.

"I tried," Emerald said glumly.

Jaune placed a hand on Emerald's arm. "Em, Cinder got to us literally right when we were getting Pyrrha out of the capsule. If she'd gotten there any sooner…" he trailed off with a shiver.

Emerald smiled a little, feeling a slight lightening in her chest. "I'm glad I could do something." She took a breath. "What about Penny?"

"She'll be okay," Ren said. "She went into shock when her arm was cut off, but her brain and the part that generates Aura were unharmed. She's been talking with Ruby for the past few hours."

"Ruby…" Jaune frowned. "She might be a bit hard to convince."

"I guess she hates me, huh?"

"That's an understatement," Nora muttered.

"She saw you in the stands while facing Mercury, and guessed at the truth. She blames you and Mercury for what happened to Penny," Pyrrha explained. "We'll try to explain things to her. Ruby's reasonable. She'll understand that you're better as an ally than as a prisoner."

"Thanks." Emerald swallowed before saying something she needed to say, even if her words were rejected. "I really do care about you guys. A lot. What you four have… It's something special. I had hoped to be part of it, if things had gone differently." She looked at her hands again. "I don't expect anything now. I just want you to know that I'll do everything I can to protect you."

There was a pause before Ren's cool hand touched hers. He closed his eyes, reading her emotions for a moment, then nodded. Her feelings were sincere, as were his own. "It will take time to forgive you," he said honestly. "And even longer to trust you."

"I understand," Emerald said through her tightening throat.

"But," Jaune added. "For the record, I was really starting to like you too."

Emerald suppressed a sigh. _Oh, the cruel irony. Hello, life._

"So did I," Pyrrha said. Then, to everyone's surprise, she walked over to the bed, bent over, and gave Emerald a very careful, gentle hug. "I still do. And I forgive you."

Emerald gasped. "Huh?!"

"Huh is right!" Nora said. "I mean, I'm gonna need at least a month before I'm ready to think about forgiving anything! Even if I was starting to like-like her!"

Jaune, despite the situation, let out a laugh. "Like-like? Seriously, Nora? No one over the age of ten says that."

"Oh, shut up!"

Ren walked over and kissed Nora's forehead to calm her down. "We'll figure this out as we go. We can handle this. We're Huntsmen."

Pyrrha drew back from Emerald, smiling kindly at her. "Are you okay?"

"I…" Emerald wiped her face, realizing that fresh tears were falling. "You're too nice for your own good, you know."

Pyrrha shrugged. "I'm a very forgiving person."

"It's true," Jaune commented. "She forgave me almost instantly after I spent over a week being a total jerk. You know, I was actually being blackmailed at that time too! What a coincidence!"

Pyrrha frowned. "Wait, Cardin was blackmailing you? You never told me that!"

"It never came up."

"You could have told us," Nora pointed out. "I would've broken his legs for you!"

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Well, it didn't occur to me to bring it up. Are we seriously talking about Cardin right now?!"

Emerald almost couldn't believe it when she let out a laugh. The sound was weird, unfitting, and almost alien on her tongue. But it was real.

It was a start.

…..

"Hit its limbs!" Jaune's cry somehow rang out over the ghostly wail of the Geist as it swung a stone arm at the team. "Go for its face!"

Emerald leaped to the side, shooting desperately at one of the legs. She had come across awful Grimm before, but this thing was definitely taking the cake!

It didn't help that Jaune was currently without a weapon, adding to the overall anxiety of this battle. Pyrrha had been given upgraded versions of her shield and lance, and had donated the metal from her old weapons to give Jaune's sword and shield an update. Of course, a Grimm had to attack right after their trip to the blacksmith.

Ducking under a tree-formed limb, which had just been set on fire by Pyrrha, whose eyes were glowing and whose hands were still spewing flames, Emerald tried to draw the Grimm's attention, barely dodging one of its giant feet. This gave Nora and Ruby the chance to finish it off in a blur of red and pink.

Emerald let out a long breath as the thing finally went down. She looked around, trying to locate the others. Ren was okay, as was the weaponless Jaune. It took a few minutes to get Pyrrha's explosion of power under control. Several trees lost their lives in that struggle. When it ended, Emerald allowed her muscles to relax as they started the journey back to town.

Everyone was grateful for their help, which meant another night of free meals and boarding while they waited for Qrow and Ozpin to get back from their patrol. Emerald ate eagerly, silently thanking the gods for the fact that this town actually had food. It was a little hit and miss depending on the wealth of the villages they traveled through.

Nora plopped down on one side of her. "Hey," she chirped.

"Hi," Emerald replied with a smile. "Nice work on that Geist." She glanced at Ruby, who was walking by, including her in the compliment.

"Thanks." Ruby's voice was a little reserved. While she was willing to accept Emerald as one of the group, their relationship was strictly professional.

Emerald sighed inwardly. _I never thought I'd miss her being cheerful and annoying towards me…_

Nora patted her shoulder as Ruby walked away. "Give her time."

Emerald smiled. "I know."

"If it helps," Nora hugged her arm. "It's been more than a month. I forgave you a few days ago."

"Yeah?" Emerald rested her head on top of Nora's. "When did you decide that?"

"Hm… Somewhere between when you gave me your share of pancakes at breakfast, and when you saved Ren from that Beowolf."

Ren sat down next to Nora, smiling at Emerald as he did so. Jaune and Pyrrha waved as they followed Ruby to a different table.

Emerald watched them, her mind toying with the thought that everything might be okay after all, that everything truly could get better. Nora's warmth at her side, the growing acceptance of the others, and Ozpin's trust that Emerald would redeem herself, all melded together into something vaguely resembling hope.

It would take time to make things right, and there were still so many factors working against them. Pyrrha still didn't have control of her powers. No one knew where to find Salem. All of them were in danger, no matter where they were.

Still, they had survived another day, and Emerald was ready to fight with everything she had so that they could survive one more.

 **The challenge for me in this chapter was keeping the romantic aspect that was asked for while also incorporating the anger and mistrust that would realistically overshadow Emerald's interactions with JNPR after the Fall. I have a feeling that Ozpin, as someone who has fought Salem for so long, would be more forgiving than the average person toward someone who has been used by her or her underlings.**

 **I'll see you soon with a much fluffier epilogue.**

 **Peace out!**


	7. A Home at Last

**And, here we are at the epilogue of Mackenzie's OT5 beauty! I hope you enjoy the fluff after all the angst of the previous chapters.**

 **Enjoy!**

Emerald wasn't necessarily an expert on housing. She spent her early life on the streets, and her more recent life sleeping anywhere from the ground to a cramped hostel room to a luxurious tavern suite. She was honestly happy as long as she had a roof over her head, food in her stomach, and her four lovers nearby.

Still, despite her limited knowledge, she could tell that this most recent house they were viewing was a good one. She had known that just by looking at the email the real estate agent had sent them.

It was a nice cottage that looked rustic on the outside, bearing a cute little garden and a quaint picket fence. On the inside, however, it was very clearly a house meant for a large, modern-day family. The kitchen was newly-remodeled with laminate floors, a new stove and oven, and a stainless-steel fridge. There was central heating and air conditioning, a huge family room, a back porch and patio, two full bathrooms, and three bedrooms.

Emerald loved it immediately once she saw it in person. Judging by the excited whispers being exchanged, so did Team JNPR.

Nora was looking at the garden, already imagining what flowers they would plant once the house was theirs. "Hey, Ren? You think we'll have room for a food garden?"

"We'll have to check the back yard," Ren replied. "The front yard is a little small for what I have in mind."

Emerald walked to the front door, eying the locks. "Hm. Any amateur could pick these. We'll definitely need a quality alarm system."

"Wasn't that a given already?" Jaune asked, ruffling Emerald's hair as she moved away from the lock.

"Have we decided which company we're going with, yet?" Nora asked. "I'm still not sure."

"Hey, I still need to test those last two," Emerald protested. "If I can disarm it, it's no good."

"Em, you're an illusionist who grew up stealing to survive," Pyrrha pointed out. "I think you're a cut above the common thief."

"I'm sorry, did you guys _only_ want protection from two-bit noob burglars? Because, if so, we can totally go with that last alarm system we looked at," Emerald said, rolling her eyes. "Or, any of them, really."

"Okay, okay," Jaune laughed, kissing Emerald's cheek. "We'll leave it to the expert."

Emerald's expression softened as she responded with a quick kiss to a jagged scar that stretched from Jaune's chin to his jawline. Even now, the easy affection that passed between the five of them sometimes felt like something Emerald was dreaming. There were times when she would stop and wonder if she had actually been put in a coma during one of the many battles they had fought during the war, and this was all a fever dream her wishful brain had concocted.

Her thoughts must have been noticed by Ren, who lightly touched her hand as they walked through the front door, gracing her with a quick side-smile. A warm flood of soothing feelings immediately washed over Emerald's mind, pushing her pessimistic theory away.

Ren was glad that Emerald's lingering self-doubt was getting easier and easier to banish. It had never fully healed since the Fall of Beacon, no matter how often the former thief proved herself, no matter how quickly she would throw herself into the line of fire for her friends.

Even when the romantic feelings that had started developing before the Fall started to deepen, Emerald had been distant for the longest time, doubting that she deserved to be part of what Team JNPR had, convinced that she should be alone forever. It had been a long, slow process getting her to where she was, and Ren hoped that she would only improve.

Finding a new home would be another step toward that goal, and this one was definitely promising. Ren could already feel the rightness of this place, and could tell that Emerald felt it too, despite her problems with the lock system. When the last of Emerald's doubt faded and she grinned at him, his smile widened and he gently stroked her wrist with his thumb.

Nora was zipping from room to room, gasping at each feature she discovered. "Guys, this carpet is so sooooft!" She said, stooping to feel the new carpeting in the family room. She practically leaped into Jaune's arms when she saw that the fireplace had a glass mosaic in front of it depicting a Huntsman fighting a Dragon. "Omigosh, it's so fancy!"

Jaune laughed, kissing Nora's cheek and continuing to carry her as they explored the rest of the house.

Emerald glanced at Pyrrha, who was examining the house silently. Over the course of the war, as the responsibilities of being the Fall Maiden pressed down on her, Pyrrha had become more and more withdrawn and quiet. There were lines on her face that were starting to age her prematurely, even though she wasn't even thirty yet. To an untrained eye, she now appeared to be a very stern, silent warrior who had little time for foolishness, as opposed to the open, friendly persona of her school days.

Those who knew her, however, could recognize her more subtle expressions. Right now, Pyrrha was happy. There was a faint smile on her face and a warm glimmer in her usually-troubled eyes.

Emerald knew that finding a place that felt like home to Pyrrha was important. Even after the war, the Maidens always had duties to fulfill, far beyond those of a Huntsman. Pyrrha needed a place to come home to. She needed a spot that was safe, comforting, and loving, without all of the expectations she had to deal with everywhere else.

She walked over to Pyrrha and touched her arm. "You like it?"

Pyrrha smiled down at her, the corners of her eyes crinkling a little. "I think it's grand."

That settled it for Emerald, though she did still check over the rest of the house with the others. It honestly seemed to be perfect for them. The three bedrooms would allow them to sleep separately, together, or in whatever combinations they needed, depending on the day. The kitchen received the Ren stamp of approval. The area was remote while still being within the safer boundaries of the kingdom.

They went into the yard, which smelled of cut grass and new wood. The porch had been a more recent addition to the already-new house, likely added to give the place more value for resale. There was plenty of space for a garden, and Ren was already mentally mapping out where all the different vegetables and herbs would go.

"So, should we make an offer and get the inspector in to fine-comb everything?" Jaune asked as they left.

The answer was a unanimous yes.

Emerald was relieved that they had finally found something. For all the previous houses, there had been some reason or other to pass on to the next one: The basement was unfinished (and smelly). There was only one bathroom. The yard was tiny. The house had been inhabited for the past ten years by an old couple with seven cats (and no litter box in sight).

To some, it may seem a bit silly to be so picky after literal years of sleeping on the ground, but they were choosing where they would be living for the foreseeable future, not a campsite for one night. For Emerald, it was a literal dream come true.

Jaune noticed how quiet she was on the way to the hotel room. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Emerald said. "Just thinking."

"What about?" Jaune asked in a tone that expressed interest without putting any pressure on Emerald to say anything she didn't want to.

Emerald took a moment to put her thoughts together. "When I was on the streets, I dreamed of having my own house and being able to do things like buy expensive decorations or cook fancy dinners for myself." She smiled a little wistfully. "One time, when I was really hungry, I had a super-vivid dream about sitting at a table full of food: roast turkey, crab legs, fancy cakes… And I ate everything."

She also remembered the morning after that particular dream. She remembered clutching her rumbling stomach, tears leaking onto the dirty ground, wishing she could just stay asleep forever.

"Now, I'm actually buying a house, and I'm not doing it alone." Emerald shook her head. "Just that feels too good to be true."

Jaune placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing comfortingly as he noticed the conflicting emotions playing across her face. "I think a fancy dinner would be a pretty nice way to celebrate when we move in."

"I do like crab legs," Ren mused. "If I get whole crabs, I could sauté the organs in butter and garlic… That would make a really nice side."

"You had me at roast turkey," Nora chirped.

Emerald smiled, a little embarrassed. "You guys don't have to go to all that trouble."

"Trouble?" Jaune let out a laugh. "Like you could stop us from eating a ton of food once we actually can cook it in a decent kitchen!"

With fresh visions of fancy food in their minds, they ended up splurging just a bit at a Mistral-style sushi restaurant that was near the hotel before turning in. They showered and went to bed, full and content. Emerald lay in one of the twin beds with Ren and Nora.

She had slept with Pyrrha the previous night, and had ended up with several bruised ribs due to the Fall Maiden's violent night terrors. No one ever brought it up when they were inadvertently injured. Pyrrha felt bad enough about several other post-war tendencies that weren't her fault. She didn't need another piece of unneeded guilt to burden her mind.

Emerald slept on the edge of the bed. Nora was in the middle, making happy noises as she slowly wound down enough to actually fall asleep. Ren's arm was laying overtop Emerald's as they held their excitable girlfriend between them.

Letting out a yawn, Emerald drifted off, musing that she was exactly where she had always wanted to be: somewhere safe and warm, with a full belly. Before, she had never even thought of the possibility of being with someone she loved and who loved her back, much less four someones!

She still didn't know if she deserved it, but she was happy.

As she fell fully asleep, she was aware of Ren working his Semblance on her once again. _Yes,_ she corrected herself. Yes, she did deserve this.

…..

Emerald was lying on a cushy couch, hugging one of Nora's giant plush sloths against her chest. A symphony of aromas drifted from the kitchen, carrying notes of seafood and soy sauce, and a full measure of juicy turkey.

She had offered to help cook, of course, but Ren preferred to have the kitchen clear of people when he was working. One other individual at a time was his limit. Occasionally, Emerald or one of the others would peek in to watch him as he worked.

When cooking, Ren took on a look of intense concentration and passion. He hurried from place to place with practiced ease, displaying a grace that surpassed even his dancing and fighting. His hair was pinned back and his apron was pristine.

It was times like these when the "Please do nothing to the cook" message was a helpful reminder. All four of the other housemates found Ren ridiculously attractive while he was in the "sexy chef zone," as Nora called it.

Emerald scooted over as Nora skipped over to the couch, placing the sloth to the side so that she could hug her girlfriend. She laughed as Nora squirmed as close as she could, nuzzling and kissing her neck.

"Nora, you know that tickles!" she protested lightly.

"You love it," Nora giggled, nipping teasingly at Emerald's shoulder.

Emerald tilted her face toward hers. "Maybe a little," she conceded.

Nora didn't waste any time in pulling Emerald into a kiss. Once again, she marveled at how different kissing Emerald was from kissing any of the others. Ren's kisses were always soft and gentle. Jaune's were exuberant, joyful, and a little sloppy. Pyrrha kissed with a sort of thoughtful precision, a careful, calculated effort to make her partner feel as good as possible.

Kisses from Emerald were fierce and raw, and often tinged with desperation and fear. A kiss with Emerald felt like the last kiss before a battle, a snatched moment of happiness before everything fell apart.

Nora felt that fear now and found herself in an uncharacteristic attempt to slow the kiss down, to show Emerald without words that there was nothing to worry about. The war was over. They could allow themselves to be happy.

The kiss went on for several minutes, moseying along before coming to a gradual halt, leaving Emerald both breathless and incredibly relaxed. She drew back to look at Nora's face. In the light from the fireplace, she could see several fine lines crisscrossing on her girlfriend's cheeks, chin, and brow. There were more lines hidden by her clothes, and bigger ones. No one had escaped the war with Salem unscathed.

Pyrrha was curled up in Jaune's lap on the armchair, looking strangely tiny as her boyfriend held her, stroking her hair and talking quietly into her ear. It was rare to see the Fall Maiden looking so small and vulnerable, but it made sense. She rarely let down her guard, even during times of peace. That made the moments when she allowed herself to be protected even more special.

When Ren called for dinner, everyone got up, washed, and hurried to the long table. It was designed to fit several guests, but only five seats were needed that night.

Ren had gone all out, preparing turkey, crab legs, mashed potatoes, yams, cocktail shrimps, and warm, flaky crescent rolls. Emerald could only imagine what dessert would be like!

Before eating, they prayed. Team JNPR worshipped different gods, but the intent of their prayer was the same. Emerald didn't believe in any of the gods, but she said a silent word of thanks to whatever forces in the universe had allowed her and her lovers to be right here, right now.

As they sat, they remembered the people who hadn't made it through the war. Ozpin had died near the end, sacrificing himself to land that fateful final blow on Salem. The old man, who had turned out to be more ancient than anyone had thought, had seemed almost relieved as he lay on the hard, bloody ground in the aftermath. Life slipped from him easily, like a glove coming off an overheated hand, leaving coolness and relief in its wake.

Emerald privately mourned Mercury, who had remained in Cinder's service after the Fall. He had been one of the early casualties.

It was amazing what hindsight could do to a person. During her time with Cinder, Emerald had avoided Mercury whenever possible, hating his more bloodthirsty nature and the way he often tried to flirt with her.

Now, she couldn't help but wonder what he could have been. What if people like Team JNPR had reached out to him sooner? What if she had reached out to him? Would he be alive? Would he be sitting at a table somewhere, preparing to enjoy a meal with people who loved him?

There was little to be gained by asking such questions, but Emerald couldn't help but wonder.

The five then focused their attention on the dinner Ren had prepared. None of them could ever remember a better meal in their lives.

Emerald was cutting into a bit of turkey breast and was dipping it in some mashed yams. She glanced at Nora, who was easily cracking crab shells with her hands. Pyrrha was trying the cocktail shrimp while Jaune had a whole mountain of potatoes and gravy that he was attacking with single-minded gusto.

Ren, despite all the work he had done, was eating at a moderate pace, preferring to focus on the enjoyment of his partners as they devoured his food. This, more than anything, was his favorite thing about cooking.

Each of them ate enough for five people (six for Nora and Emerald), but there were still plenty of leftovers to pack away. They divided cleanup duties and hurried to clean the plates, table, and kitchen before the inevitable food coma set in.

Yawns were forcing their way out of unwilling throats by the time the last dishes were put away. Jaune suggested sleeping together in the biggest bedroom, and the others agreed.

This bedroom, which was the only one to sport a king-sized bed rather than twin cots or futons, was covered with blankets and pillows, making it look like there was little room for one, let alone five people. Somehow, everyone found their way into the depths of the cozy nest.

Emerald ended up on one side, as she preferred sleeping in a position that allowed her to easily get up if necessary. Also, it felt like an extra gesture of protection toward her beloved partners. Pyrrha usually took the other side, though this time, Nora had muscled her way to the other edge and was spooning her much-taller girlfriend. Ren was in the middle, barely visible under the blankets and his other partners. Jaune lay between him and Emerald, who he drew closer with one arm, making sure as he did so that the blankets were nicely tucked around her shoulders.

Ren was asleep almost immediately, followed by Nora. Pyrrha usually stayed awake a bit longer, but the steady sound and feeling of Ren and Nora breathing on either side of her lulled her into a doze.

Jaune remained awake for a little while, gazing at his three teammates before glancing over his shoulder at Emerald. "Hey," he whispered.

"Hi," she replied, kissing the scar on his chin again. It had come from a Beowolf, one that Emerald hadn't managed to kill quickly enough.

Jaune kissed her lips firmly, his eyes open and fixed on hers the whole time. "You're okay," he murmured against her mouth. "I promise. You can relax."

"I don't know if I ever can," Emerald admitted. "I try, but…"

"I know," Jaune said gently. "I know you have a lot to recover from. We all do. We just need to keep getting better and finding more ways to be happy." He touched her cheek. "We deserve it. You deserve it. So, stop punishing yourself and second-guessing us. We're not going anywhere. I can guarantee that."

Emerald smiled. "I know you're not," she said. That was one thing she was absolutely sure of. "I'll keep trying."

"Good," Jaune said, satisfied for the time being. "I love you."

Emerald snuggled close, blinking back tears. Those were three words she would never get used to hearing. "I love you too." They felt alien on her tongue, but in a good way.

Jaune's eyes closed. He remained facing Emerald the whole night, allowing her to listen to his heartbeat until morning, reminding herself with each pulse that she was, at last, where she had always wanted to be.

 **I'd like to thank everyone for your loyal readership over the years, and Mackenzie Buckle for this commission. My time in the** _ **RWBY**_ **fandom has been great because of people like you. I hope you'll be waiting for me when I come back with "Wings of Dust" and when I move on to my own works, which promise to be better than any of my fics.**

 **Until then, peace out!**


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